Warrior
by Whistler Nights
Summary: Despite Carole and Rachel's pleas Finn joins the Army and ends up on the front lines. After living through the unthinkable, he returns home to the women he loves a broken man.
1. Chapter 1

**Warrior**

Despite Rachel and Carole's pleas, Finn enlists in the Army after graduation and winds up in Afghanistan. After living through the unthinkable, Finn returns home to the two women he loves a broken man.

(**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters. The songs _Just the Way You Are_ and _Marry You_ are both property of Bruno Mars)

**Winter 2012 – Chapter 1**

"What do you think I should wear to the Valentine's Dance? Since we're both seniors, it will be one of our last dances at McKinley," Rachel asked Finn as she tore through her closet. "I have the pink dress that I wore to last year's prom. It's semi-formal, and it's an appropriate color for Valentine's Day."

Finn was stretched out on Rachel's bed watching his petite girlfriend pull one outfit after another out of her double closets. "Not the pink prom dress. It only reminds me of how much I would still like to punch Jessie St. Jackass in the face. Do you have the red one that you wore to Mom and Burt's wedding? I thought that you looked amazing in that one. Actually, didn't I sing _Just the Way You Are _to you when you wore that dress?" Finn smiled as he propped his head up on Rachel's pillows.

"Actually, you sang that song to Kurt if I remember correctly," Rachel answered digging deeper into her closet.

"Only the first part, but the whole song was meant for you. You are amazing just the way you are," Finn smiled.

"Found it," Rachel rejoiced as she pulled the knee-length red dress out of the dry cleaner bag.

"That's the one," Finn agreed as he pulled his girlfriend and the red dress down on top of him on the bed. "I really don't care which dress you wear as long as I get to peel it off of you when the dance is over, and we're back here in your bedroom."

"Finn, you're squishing me and getting the dress all wrinkled," Rachel protested trying to release herself from Finn's arms.

"Resistance is futile!" Finn laughed as he pulled Rachel back down on top of him before he flipped them over.

"Well this dress isn't wrinkle resistant, and you're going to pay for another dry cleaning if you don't stop," Rachel giggled planting a quick kiss on Finn's lips.

"It will be worth it," Finn whispered as he deepened the kiss and the red dress fell to the floor unnoticed.

An hour later they were wrapped up in the sheets holding tightly to one another. Rachel was dozing off with her head on Finn chest when he interrupted her with a question.

"Rach, is this a good time to ask a question?" Finn asked as Rachel's eyes fluttered open.

"Now, I was almost asleep? I've been listening to your heart slow down to a steady rhythm," Rachel questioned looking up into Finn's serious eyes.

"You do get my heart racing, but Rach. I need to ask you something. Something important. You know how you and Kurt are leaving for college this fall, and things really haven't panned out for me at Ohio State? I was thinking about enlisting in the Army after graduation. What do you think?"

Rachel was stunned speechless for a moment before she jumped up on one arm wrapping the sheet across her chest with the other. "What did you just say?"

"I asked you what you thought about me joining the Army. A football scholarship isn't happening, and I don't have the grades or the money to get into college right now. I could qualify for the Army's Tuition Assistance after a two year enlistment. I could get even more tuition help if I stay in for three years. What do you think? I'll be getting out of the Army before you graduate from college. We could start our lives together then."

"I think that you could get yourself killed Finn Hudson! Your own father was killed while serving in the Army! Have you discussed this with your mother?" Rachel asked in a panic.

"Rachel, I could get hit by a bus in downtown Lima tomorrow. No, I haven't talked this over with Mom. I wanted to talk to you about it first since it's about the future."

"If you do this, we may not have a future. Finn, you're the most important person in the world to me. I can't lose you. You can apply to other colleges. You can apply for grants, and scholarships, and college loans. You could stay here in Lima and run Burt's tire business. You could come with me and Kurt. We could get a bigger apartment. That would be so perfect!"

"And do what while you're in class or studying? Santana accused me once of riding your coat tails, and I'm not going to do that. I have to be my own man. I really want to do something that makes me feel good about myself. I want you and Mom to be proud of me."

"We're already so proud of you. You don't need to go off to a war and get yourself killed or shot up," Rachel begged as the tears started to fall.

"I'll be fine and when I get out, I'll have the money to go to college. They'll probably put me in the motor pool, and I'll never see the front lines. Besides Puck says that he'll sign up with me.

"Puck? I should have known that he was involved! Do you really think you can trust him with your life considering the history that you two have?" Rachel asked looking hastily over the edge of the bed for her clothes.

"When it comes to life and death, I think I can trust Puck to have my back, and I'll have his. I haven't made up my mind yet. Nothing has been signed. I just wanted your opinion before I talked to Mom about it. I was kinda hoping that you might back me up. Mom's going to freak out since we lost my dad in Desert Storm," Finn asked pulling the sheet back over him.

"Well, you've got my opinion, and I know that your mother will agree with me. Do you want me to come with you when you discuss this with her?" Rachel asked tossing Finn his clothes.

"No, I don't need the two of you ganging up on me. We still have four months until graduation and the recruiter said that I could post pone reporting for basic training until after you leave for college in August. That's almost seven months before we're going to be separated anyway. Your leaving is going to be hard, but being stuck here without you is going to be worse. This isn't a done deal, but please think about it. I want our last months here in Lima to be the best that we can make them. I don't want to be constantly arguing, but I would like to have some idea about my future nailed down."

Rachel finished buttoning her blouse and retrieved the red dress from the floor.

"You know the last time you wore that dress. I also sang _Marry You_," Finn smiled at her. "I really do want to marry you some day, but I want to be able to offer you more than just my love. Right now that's all I've got."

"Your love is all that I need. Your love and you in one piece. Finn, I'll think about it, but I can already tell you that I'm probably not going to change my mind."

"Just think about it, that's all I ask," Finn smiled tugging his jeans on before he stood to wrap his arms around his petite girlfriend.

"You'd better get going. My dads will be home in half an hour and I have a lot to think about," Rachel suggested.

"I do need to get going. Kurt will be late tonight, and I want to talk to Mom and Burt about my idea."

"Finn, I love you so much. I just want you to remember that our country is fighting a bloody war in Afghanistan right now. This will be for real. It won't be like one of your video games," Rachel added biting her lower lip.

"I know, and like I said, I haven't made my mind up yet. It's just a possible option," Finn shrugged before kissing Rachel good-bye and heading home.

At the Hummel/Hudson home Carole was already in the kitchen fixing dinner.

"Hey Honey," Carole said happily as Finn came through the door. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. Did I get any fat college letters in the mail today?" Finn asked hopefully.

"Take a look," Carole said handing Finn the stack of mail.

Finn sorted through the stack of mail and found one letter addressed to him. It was from one of the junior colleges that he had applied to.

Finn's heart sank when he realized that it was a thin letter. The kind that held the standard one page rejection letter. He had already received four other "thanks for applying, but no thanks" answers to his college applications.

Walking up the stairs he ripped the letter open, read the short one page rejection letter and then added it to the others in his trash can. The Army was beginning to look like his only hope for getting out of Lima.

Showering and then heading back downstairs he found Burt setting the table for the three of them.

"Hey Finn. What did you do today?" Burt asked his step-son.

"That's sort of what I wanted to talk to you and Mom about after we've finished eating dinner," Finn said as he helped his mom carry the food to the table.

Once dinner was finished and the dishes were in the dishwasher, Finn, Carole, and Burt sat back down at the kitchen table with some coffee, milk, and apple pie.

"Okay Finn. What do you want to talk to us about? You've got our curiosity up," Carole asked her son.

"Well, I received my fifth college rejection letter today, and I'm running out of options. My grades aren't good enough, and a football scholarship ain't happening. We did have some recruiters at school today, and I went by and talked to one of them."

"I thought you said a football scholarship wasn't happening. Which schools were the recruiters from?" Carole asked hopefully.

"The recruiters weren't from schools, Mom. They were from the military. I talked to the recruiter from the Army and I'm thinking about enlisting. I wouldn't have to leave for boot camp until August when Rachel leaves for college."

Carole was stunned as speechless as Rachel had been. She turned a ghastly white as all of the color left her face.

"Say something Mom," Finn asked.

"You can't be serious," a stunned Carole finally managed to say. "I lost your dad, I'm not about to lose you too. This family has paid enough."

"But Mom, lots of guys go into the military and come home without a scratch. The Army will help pay for college after two years. Everyone is leaving this town after graduation except for me and Puck and we're talking about signing up together," Finn pleaded with his mother.

"Have you talked to Rachel about this?" Carole asked sternly.

"Yes and she feels the same way about it as you do. Both of you think that this is a bad idea, but I've got to do something with my life."

"Burt and I will be out of town a lot when Congress is in session, and Kurt will be away at college. Burt needs someone to look after the tire business while we're gone. Maybe a few business courses at the community college might be a good idea" Carole suggested.

"Finn I know that the tire store will be in good hands with you while we're gone, but the military is an option if you don't want to stay in Lima. I pulled a four year hitch in the Navy," Burt offered.

"You pulled a four year hitch in the Navy in Hawaii during peace time. You never saw a battle or dodged a single bullet," Carole fumed at Burt.

"I was just trying to say that Finn doesn't have to stay in Lima and run the tire store as a family obligation if he doesn't want to. He's eighteen and his own man now. If Finn wants to join the Army than he's old enough to make that decision for himself."

When Kurt came in later that evening, Carole and Burt could still be over heard in their bedroom while Finn worked on his homework at the kitchen table.

"What's up with the folks?" Kurt asked his step brother as he set his messenger bag down in a kitchen chair.

"They're arguing about me," Finn said rubbing his head. "I asked what they thought about me joining the Army after graduation."

"What did they say?" Kurt asked surprised.

"What do you think? I knew Mom would freak out, but your dad really stepped in it when he didn't agree with her," Finn sighed deeply.

"I thought that you were going to stay in Lima while everyone was away and run the tire store?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt, the tire store belongs to you and your dad. Do I really look like the kind of guy who belongs behind a counter writing up orders and taking inventory all day? Besides, what happens to me when Burt's out of Congress and comes home to his business? I'll be back to being one of the guys in the grease pit. No better than I am now. At least this way the Army will help pay for college when my enlistment is up and get me out of this town," Finn said numbly.

"Brother dear, I know that there're a lot of other options out there available to you, but as your brother, I'll support you no matter what you decide to do. Have you told Rachel about this idea yet?" Kurt asked concerned.

"Yeah, I did and her reaction was the same as Mom's. She's afraid that something will happen to me. I just wish that I had some idea about my future. I'm not like you and Rachel. The two of you have had your futures planned out in detail since you were eight years old. How have you always known what you wanted to do with your life?" Finn asked his step brother.

"My mom," Kurt said wistfully. "She knew she was dying and she and I had many long talks about what she wanted for me in the future before she died. She made sure that the money would be there. All of her money went into a college savings plan for my education."

"After Dad was killed, Mom and I barely scrapped by. There was never any extra money left at the end of the month. My grades have been just enough to get by since middle school," Finn remorsed. "I'm not as smart as you and Rachel."

"It's not too late, and you're smarter than you think you are. I hate to sound clique, but today is the first day of the rest of your life. You may not be ready for college today, but you can change that," Kurt offered.

"How?" Finn asked his brother.

There's the local community college, or you could run the tire store for Dad, or you could join the Army. Maybe the Army might help you figure out what you want to do with your life. But being a pacifist, I'm not endorsing joining the military. You're so tall; you'd make an easy target."

-/-

Until the next chapter thank you for reading and hopefully reviewing. Parts of this story will be difficult to write so any advice or constructive criticism would be appreciated. Thank you, Whistler Nights


	2. Chapter 2

**Choices – Chapter 2**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The night after Finn told Rachel, Kurt, Carole, and Burt about his meeting with the recruiter from the Army was a long fitful night for all of them.

Finn had gone to sleep quickly, but was awakened by one bizarre dream after another. One dream was of him washing dishes in a grimy diner while Kurt and Rachel were students away all day at their classes. In another terrifying dream, he was a witness to his own military funeral. Rachel and his mother held each other closely as Carole was presented with the flag that had covered his coffin. He watched as his own coffin being lowered into the ground and winced at the sound of the twenty-one gun salute and the mournful sound of _Taps_ being played. That dream had left him so shaken and drenched with sweat that he got up and went down to the kitchen for a cold glass of milk.

In the dim glow of a nightlight over the kitchen stove, Burt soon joined him.

"Tough night buddy?" Burt asked his step-son.

"Just one bad dream after another," Finn answered sipping his milk and staring at nothing in particular.

Burt sat down at the kitchen table with Finn and began their late night conversation, "I meant what I said when I told you and your mother that I thought the tire store would be in good hands with you running it while we're gone. The day to day operation isn't bad, and Kurt and I can help you with the books."

"Kurt's mother left him enough money to go to school, but if you would like to go to the community college, I'll find the money to pay for it," Burt offered.

"Thank you Burt, I appreciate it. Any kid in my shoes would jump at the chance. It's just that I really wanted to get out of Lima for awhile like everyone else. I feel like if I don't take the opportunity to get out of town now, then I'm going to be stuck here for the rest of my life."

"It's not a bad life," Burt chuckled. "I'm able to support my family changing tires, but you're a young man and I understand. Why do you think I joined the Navy? I wanted to see the world, and I did get a good look at Hawaii."

Burt paused, "But your mother is right; you could take some business classes at the community college at night and run the tire shop during the day."

"It's not that Burt. I just wanted to go somewhere, anywhere. You, Mom, Kurt, and Rachel will all be leaving and I'll be stuck here by myself."

"Would somewhere else include the backside of a M-16 in Afghanistan?" Burt asked. "The war in Iraq is over, but according to the news, we'll be fighting in Afghanistan for at last the next ten years. When I served it was during peace time, and I got lucky ending up being assigned to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii."

"That's the part that scares me the most about it all," Finn sighed heavily. "Who knows where they'll send me or what I'll be doing. I like the idea of leaving Lima and having the Army help me with college money. I know that I told Mom and Rachel that lots of guys come back without a scratch, but deep down I'm still afraid. I don't want to get killed or wounded."

"Finn, I'd like to ask you two questions. One, have you ever handled a gun? Two, could you shoot another human being if you had to?" Burt asked Finn seriously.

"I don't know. I went hunting with my Grandpa Hudson once when I was ten, and he shot a deer."

"How did that make you feel?" Burt asked.

"I thought it was great until we got up close to the deer. It was still trying to get up and Grandpa shot the poor thing again. I had to go into the bushes and throw up. I never went hunting with him after that," Finn confessed.

"I've never had to point a gun at another human being, but shooting another person is going to be a lot worse than shooting a deer. You might have to shoot another person in order to protect yourself, your buddies, and your platoon. There will be no time to think about it. There will be no hitting the reset button and starting the video game over."

"I know," said Finn quietly. "It's a lot to think about, but thank you so much for offering to pay for community college and having enough faith in me to run your business. I won't forget it no matter what I decide to do."

"Hey, isn't that what dads are for," Burt said before he rubbed Finn's shoulder and headed back to bed.

Finn finished his milk and put the glass in the sink before heading back to bed. He thought about that helpless deer. But Finn kept telling himself that the deer wasn't armed, and the deer wasn't trying to kill him. His grandpa just wanted some venison steaks for dinner, and the overpopulation of deer was destroying his garden.

Nearing dawn Finn was once again asleep and having the best dream. He dreamed he was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes and Rachel was their head cheerleader. He was passing for a touchdown against Michigan when he was woke up by the sound of Kurt's phone next door. From the ring tone Finn realized that it was Blaine calling. He heard Kurt say a few words before he heard Kurt run down stairs, open and shut the front door before he ran back upstairs.

"Snow Day!" Kurt announced before he dropped a handful of the white fluffy stuff in Finn's face.

"Kurt! Your boyfriend and your freaking phone had to wake me from one of the best dreams that I've ever had in my life and now you dump snow in my face? You're going to pay!"

Finn was chasing Kurt back to his room when Kurt slammed his bedroom door in Finn's face and locked it behind him.

"You can run but you can't hide!" Finn yelled through Kurt's door.

"What's going on up there? It's five o'clock in the morning for crying out loud!" Burt yelled up the stairs to the boy's rooms.

"It's a snow day and Kurt had to throw some snow in my face while I was sleeping," Finn yelled back down the steps.

"Well you two clean it up!" Burt yelled back.

"Me? I didn't do anything," Finn protested.

"If you don't get it up before it melts, you'll be sleeping in a wet bed," Burt said shaking his head before heading into the kitchen to start the morning coffee.

Finn turned to get the melting snow out of his bed but before he did he walked over to Kurt's door and said in a menacing voice, "Oh Kurtie, get ready for some pay-back. You can't stay in there until all of the snow outside melts."

"I can try," Kurt said from behind the door.

"Well, I going to go and get a whole bucket of the freaking stuff and put it in the freezer," Finn laughed sinisterly.

"You wouldn't do something like that to your own brother would you?" Kurt asked through the door.

"Don't you know? That's what brothers are for!" I grew up with Puck, so I've learned the art of pay-back from the master!" Finn laughed again as he went to get the melting snow out of his bed.

As dawn brightened into morning, Finn dozed and heard his mom and Burt leave for work. Later Kurt stuck his head in Finn's door and told him that he would be over at Blaine's house. Blaine's convertible sports car couldn't get out of the driveway. Finn's pay-back would have to wait.

Finn rolled over and was almost asleep again when he heard his door open slowly. His covers were lifted letting in a cold blast of air hit his back as he felt the edge of his bed sink.

"Kurt, I swear! It that's you with more snow, you're going to regret the day you were born!" Finn said between his clinched teeth.

"Shhh, it's just me," Rachel whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Rachel, how did you get in here?" Finn asked in surprise.

"Kurt let me in and told me you were up here. He said he was atoning for his sins or something like that," Rachel whispered as she kissed the back of Finn's neck.

"If Kurt wants to make up for dumping snow in my face earlier this morning, I think that he just did," Finn smiled as he turned to face his girlfriend.

"How did you get here? Kurt had to go over to Blaine's in the Navigator."

"I walked. I've been having bad dreams about you all night and I had to see for myself that you were okay. A phone call wouldn't do," Rachel confessed as she nuzzled her face into Finn's warm T-shirt.

"I've had some bad dreams too," Finn said as he kissed Rachel's forehead.

"Did you tell your mom about joining the Army?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, and she took it just like you said she would. She and Burt even got into an argument when he didn't agree with her. But good ole Burt. He offered to pay for me to go to the community college, and he trusts me to run his business while he and Mom are gone. I couldn't ask for a better step-dad."

"Are you going to take him up on the offer?" Rachel asked looking Finn in the eye.

"I don't know. He and I had a long talk last night. He sees my side of it, but also knows that Mom would curl up and die if something happened to me."

"Well I stayed up late last night researching other colleges, and the G.I. Bill, and our country's fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan. I've got loads of information downstairs for us to look at since there's no school today," Rachel beamed.

"I've never had a snow day with my girl in an empty house before, but hold that thought. I'll be right back." Finn smiled mischievously as he jumped out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked surprised.

"Bathroom!" Finn yelled back over his shoulder as he disappeared through his bedroom door.

He returned a few minutes later in just his pajama bottoms with toothpaste on his mouth.

"I'm cold," Rachel said as she held back the blankets for him.

"I think I know how to warm you up Miss. Berry," Finn whispered before he enveloped her in his arms.

Just before noon, Rachel was up making breakfast for the two of them while Finn finished his shower. She had all of the Army and college information in stacks on the dining room table.

Finn was just finishing his steel-cut oatmeal when Rachel asked him, "Finn, what makes you happy?"

"What we just did makes me happy," Finn smiled with a wink.

"Me too, but seriously, what makes you happy?" Rachel asked again.

"Football is all I know and performing on stage with you makes me happy," Finn answered.

"Well let's see if we can work that into a plan for your life," Rachel said as she retrieved some of the college information.

"Whoa, did you check the trash can in my room? There're already five rejection letters in it, and Ohio State wasn't impressed with my football skills," Finn sighed deeply.

"Let's set our sights a little lower than Ohio State and the Big Ten Conference. There are lots of smaller schools with great football programs and your singing and dancing have really improved," Rachel smiled hopefully.

After pouring over all the information that Rachel had brought for about two hours, Finn said that he needed a break and wanted to play in the snow.

"You're such a kid," Rachel laughed throwing Finn his scarf and gloves.

"A kid that's crazy in love with you!" Finn laughed as they both tugged on their boots.

Outside they were like two little kids again. They chased each other around the yard, made snow angels, had a ferocious snow ball fight, and then sat down in the snow to build a snow man.

The snow was still falling gently around them as Finn put his scarf on the snowman for the finishing touch.

"Rachel, I wish we could stay like this. Everything is so white and clean. The snow has covered up all the ugliness of the world. It's like our own little snow globe out here," Finn said looking up to the sky at the still falling snow.

"Me too, babe. Me too," Rachel sighed as she wrapped her arms around Finn and hugged him for dear life.

-/-

Until the next chapter, thank you so much for the reviews and adding my story to you alert lists. I appreciate all of your suggestions and comments. Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	3. Chapter 3

**Winter in Lima – Chapter 3**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The day after the big snowfall the sun was out with a vengeance, and the temperature was spring like. By late afternoon the snow had retreated back into a few patches here and there in the shadows of trees and buildings. Finn rescued his soggy scarf from what was left of their snowman in the front yard.

Rachel and Finn had spent their second snow day out of school on their computers trying to find colleges that still had an open applications deadlines. They were well into their second semester and most colleges had closed their dates for accepting applications before Christmas.

"It's no use," Finn said as they scanned all of the college listings for Ohio. There's nothing with an open application deadline for the fall for hundreds of miles and those that are are out of state. There's no way that Mom and Burt can afford out-of-state tuition," Finn frowned.

"Have you thought about starting at the community college this fall and then transferring?" Rachel asked.

"Mom and Burt would expect me to take business courses at night and run the tire store during the day. As generous as Burt's offer is, I can't see that kind of life making me happy. I'm not a paper pusher or a number cruncher and I'm certainly not assistant tire store manager material," Finn said biting his lip.

School re-opened the next day and Finn left home early to pick Rachel up on his way to school.

Instead of waiting for her in the drive-way, he parked and rang the door bell.

"It's still slippery and muddy out here, and I wanted you to get to the truck safely," Finn smiled when Rachel opened the door ready to go.

"Thank you Finn, you're so chivalrous!" Rachel beamed.

Finn smiled his dopey lop-sided smile before he looked down and noticed Rachel's shiny red patent leather ballet flats. He scooped her up, book bag and all and headed for his truck.

"I still don't have a clue what that word means," Finn smiled as he carried Rachel down the sidewalk bridal style to his truck.

"A perfect example of chivalrous is what you are doing right now. My knight in shining armor is carrying his lady to his chariot so she won't get her feet muddy. That's what chivalrous means."

"If you say so," Finn grinned. "I just didn't want you to fall on the left over ice or get your shiny shoes dirty," Finn said dumbly.

At school, Finn was met in the hallway by Puck who seemed to be waiting for him.

"Hey Dude, did you talk to your mom about joining the Army?" Finn asked his friend after Rachel had left for her French class.

"Yeah, I did and she wants to punch you in the face right after school. My nana and sister do too," Puck told Finn.

"Punch me in the face! Why?" Finn asked his friend as they made their way to their first period classes.

"She thinks that I'll get killed, and it'll be all your fault because this is your idea," Puck said while winking at an approaching cheerleader.

"Did you tell her that? You walked up to the recruiter's table the same time I did. I didn't twist your arm," Finn protested.

"Nah, I'm just kidding you. I talked to Mom and she isn't against the idea. She isn't for it either, but it's my decision and she accepts that."

"I wish that Mom and Rachel had taken the idea that well. Mom and Burt even got into an argument over it when Burt didn't back her up. It's been an awkward two days, but I think Mom's beginning to realize that I'm eighteen now and it's my decision."

"How did Rachel take the news?"

"She's been at my house for the last two days trying to find a college, any college that would take me. She has researched schools and the G.I. Bill the way Beiste researches football stats."

"Is that all you two have been up on your two day vacation from school?" Puck asked with a knowing grin.

"I don't have a clue what you're taking about," Finn smiled at his childhood friend.

The recruiters were still at the school so Finn and Puck asked to be excused from their study hall to talk to the Army recruiter again.

"Sergeant O'Rielly? Can we talk to you again about enlisting?" Finn asked as he approached the recruiting table set up in the corner of the school library.

"I remember you two. Its Finn isn't it? Finn Hudson? And you're Noah Puckerman," Sergeant O'Rielly said offering both young men a firm handshake. "What do you want to know?"

"Well I've talked to my Mom and step-dad and my girlfriend. My mom and Rachel, she's my girlfriend, are against it. They are afraid that I'm going to get killed. My mom freaked out the worst because we lost my dad in Desert Storm when I was a baby."

"I can certainly understand her reservations, son. We've lost many good American men and women in the Middle East since all of this began," Sergeant O'Rielly said to Finn while offering Finn a sympathetic look. "My condolences to you and your mother from a fellow soldier."

"Thank you sir, but could you tell us some more about our options?" Finn asked the recruiter.

When Finn and Puck had finished talking with Sergeant O'Rielly, they had missed all of their study hall, their lunch period, and half of Glee rehearsal.

"Where have you been?" Rachel whispered as Finn slipped into his seat beside her. "Mr. Schue has been waiting for us to present our duet ideas for Regionals."

"We've been talking with the recruiter, Rachel. Come over for dinner tonight, and I'll tell all of you about it at one time," Finn whispered as Mr. Schue introduced the next assignment.

Finn called his mother on the way home, "Mom, can Rachel come over for dinner if we fixed it? I'd like to talk to all of you at once. It's important," Finn asked his mother.

"It's okay with her if it's okay with your dads. We can swing by the market if you have anything particular in mind," Finn asked Rachel as he drove out of the school parking lot.

"I just wish that you would tell me what this is all about," Rachel asked giving Finn a worried look.

"Don't look so sad," I think I've made up my mind about what I want to do, and it feels good to have a plan," Finn smiled at his girlfriend while squeezing her hand.

Dinner was a rather quiet affair. Everyone knew that there was an elephant in the room, but didn't mention it until Finn gathered all of them in the living room after dinner.

"Mom, Burt, Kurt, Rachel, as you know I've been struggling with what to do with my life after graduation. Ohio State didn't want me, and all of the college applications that I sent out have been rejected. I appreciate Burt's offer to help me pay for community college, and the faith in me to not bankrupt the business while he and Mom are away. But I'm eighteen, and it's time for me to stand on my own two feet."

"Puck and I spent a long time with the Army recruiter today trying to figure out our options. If we decide to sign up, we can postpone the day that we report for duty until August after Rachel leaves for college. Rachel, we can have the whole summer together."

"The recruiter said that we would probably do our basic combat training at Fort Jackson near Columbia, South Carolina. After that Puck and I would chose what we wanted to do for our Advanced Individual Training and go from there.

"And you're going to do this just like that?" Carole cried before she buried her face in her hands and ran out of the room.

"Does the recruiter think that you and Puck can stay together?" Burt asked. "I'd feel better about this if you had a buddy with you."

"He can't promise anything, but he doesn't see any reason why not. Burt, could you talk to Mom? I know that this is killing her, but I think that this something that I want to do," Finn asked his step-father.

"What about me? It's killing me too," Rachel said just above a whisper as her eyes filled with tears.

"I know Baby," Finn said as he pulled Rachel into his lap. I'll get to come home on leave. It's only going to be for two years. Three years max. Then I can come home, start my education, and we'll have the rest of our lives after that."

"What if you don't come home?" Rachel whispered into his shirt.

"I will Baby. I promise you that I will make it back to you."

-/-

Dear Readers,

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time and reviewed this story and/or added it to their alert lists. Thank you, Whistler Nights


	4. Chapter 4

**High School Sweethearts – Chapter 4**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The McKinley High School Gym was decorated with red and pink balloons and streamers. The Valentine's Dance was well underway with Artie as the resident DJ.

Rachel and Finn had been dancing most of the night in the corner or hanging out with their friends. She was in her red bride's maid dress and Finn was in a black suit with a red bow tie. Jacob Ben Israel had tried to cut-in once, but thought better of it when he saw the angry look Finn gave him.

Finn had decided that the Army was the way to go for him, and Rachel was trying her best to accept it and make the most of their last months in Lima together.

"Is your Mom still not talking to you?" Rachel asked as they slow danced.

"She's talking to me again. I don't know what Burt said to her, but she told me that she thought my Dad would be proud of me. She said that she and Burt were proud of me too."

"I'm glad," Rachel smiled. "I don't like the idea of you being in danger either, but I don't want you and your mom to be fighting. The two of you mean too much to each other."

"I know, it's been just the two of us until Burt and Kurt came along, but Rachel. I want you to be okay with my decision too. It affects you too."

"Finn, I'm trying. Leaving you to go to New York was going to be tough, but you were going to be safe and sound here in Lima. Now you're going to be half a world away with people shooting at you. It's hard, but I'll support you no matter what you do."

"Thanks Rachel. I didn't want my two best girls to be basket cases over this. I'll be busy, and the time will fly by. I'll be discharged before you know it, and then we can plan a future."

"I certainly hope so," Rachel whispered to herself as the song ended.

"Would you like some water or punch?" Finn asked. "Coach Sylvester has been guarding the punch bowl like a hawk so I know Puck hasn't had a chance to spike it yet."

"Sure," Rachel said as she led Finn in the direction of the refreshments table.

"Well if it isn't the newest Jarhead," Rick the Stick snickered as he and his friends walked up behind Rachel and Finn. "I heard that you and Puck will be joining the Army after graduation. Is that where washed up football players go?"

"You idiot," Rachel turned on the mullet headed boy. "Jarheads are Marines! And what exactly are you going to be doing after graduation? Hustling the middle schoolers our of their lunch money at the video arcade? I don't see you risking you life, or doing anything productive! And that ridiculous hair cut of yours was out of style before you were ever born!"

"Whoa Princess, back off. Finn you need to keep your girlfriend in check," Rick said backing away.

"My girlfriend isn't the one that needs to be kept in check," Finn snarled at the surprised hockey player.

"Yeah, Buddy. Leave them alone or I'm going to go all Lima Heights on your ass," Santana sneered as she approached the group.

Rick the Stick and his friends soon disappeared into the crowd of slow dancers on the gym floor.

"Finn, I know that we haven't always been friends, but I want you know that I'm proud of you. It takes guts to do what you and Puck are doing" Santana said as she placed a hand on Finn's arm. "My brother has made a career in the Marines."

"Has he ever been in combat?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, but that's when you rely on your buddies. They protect you and you protect them. No man left behind. It's as simple as that."

"Has he ever been wounded?" Rachel asked Santana.

"No, but he's a long range sniper. He's usually half a mile away from the target. He and his spotter take care of each other. You and Puck take care of each other and you'll be okay."

"Thanks Santana," Finn smiled as Santana turned and walked away.

The couple returned to their little corner of the gym. They were swaying back and forth lost in each other's eyes. Rachel tangled her fingers in Finn's hair and sighed. "I just wish that you didn't have to have your hair shaved off."

"It'll grow back and maybe a stash too," Finn laughed softly in her ear.

"Finn?" Rachel asked. "Did you go to last year's Valentine's Dance?"

"No I was too busy licking my hurt pride. We both made mistakes, but I was the biggest idiot. When I think of all the hurt that I caused you, and all of the time that we wasted, I could kick myself," Finn half smiled at Rachel. "Forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me. We were both wrong."

"Deal! You know that prom is coming up in May and I was wondering if you wanted to run for prom king and queen," Finn asked.

"I thought that you hated that stuff," Rachel asked.

"I do, but you didn't get the chance to run last year, and I think you're the most beautiful girl at this school," Finn offered kissing her on the forehead.

"No, I think you and I have grown beyond plastic crowns and campaign buttons. I do want to go to the prom, but just so I can slow dance with you and have an excuse to get you into a tux. I don't need a crown as long as I have you," Rachel blushed.

"Then you have a deal. No campaigning, no crowns just slow dancing in the corner," Finn smiled.

On the way back to Rachel's house, Rachel was fiddling with the radio in Finn's truck when Finn heard a few words of a song on a golden oldies radio station.

"Wait!" I know that song, go back to that station." Finn asked as he stopped at the red light. "It's Bob Seger."

As the song hit the second verse, Finn began to sing along with the radio.

_If I were a carpenter, and you were a lady_

_Would you marry me anyway?_

_Would you have my baby?_

_If I worked my hands in the wood,_

_Would you still love me?_

_Answer me Babe, yes I would_.

_I'd put you above me_.

_Save my love through loneliness_.

_Save my love for sorrow_.

_I've given you my only-ness_.

_Come give me your tomorrow. _

Rachel had unbuckled her seat belt and was kissing Finn when the red light turned green and the cars behind them began blowing their horns.

Blushing, Rachel returned to her seat and refastened her seatbelt as Finn took his foot off of the brake and back onto the accelerator.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said shyly.

"I'm not, Finn nodded. Rachel. I want to ask you to marry me, but not now. I want to give you a ring and a future. I don't want to tie you down to a long term commitment if you should fall out of love with me while we're apart."

"Finn, that's not going to happen, I have found the man of my dreams and he's right here beside me. You go off to where ever the Army sends you, and I'll go off to school and I'll wait for you. You just have to promise me that you'll come back to me. That's all that I ask," Rachel said seriously.

"That's a promise," Finn said as he entwined his fingers with hers.

The two were making their way up the steps at Rachel's house and Rachel already had Finn's tie in her hand. He was working on the pins in her hair. Rachel was scrambling to find her door key while trying not to break their fierce kisses. All of a sudden the porch light came on and the front door opened.

"Surprise, Happy Valentine's Day!" Leroy cheered as he and Hiram welcome the embarrassed couple into the living room.

"Dad, Daddy, what are you doing home?" Rachel asked as a crimson blush covered her cheeks.

"We finished our business trip to Cleveland early, and we wanted to hear about the dance and Finn's plans for the Army. Leroy was in the Army, but that was a long time ago," Hiram rattled on and on as Finn and Rachel came in and sat down on the couch to answer twenty questions.

After their interrogation, Rachel walked Finn to the door and stuffed his tie back into Finn's pocket unnoticed.

"So much for peeling that dress off of you," Finn whispered as he kissed her good-bye.

"Don't worry, we still have the prom," Rachel whispered back.

-/-

The song _If I Were A Carpenter_ was written by Tim Hardin

Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I appreciate every one of them. It is nice to know that so many people are interested in this story. It is a different direction for me. Things are a bit fluffy now, but this story will take a turn when the two are separated by school and basic training.

The next update may be a few days away. I have thirteen people coming to my house for the long weekend to go snowboarding. Thank you again, Whistler Nights.


	5. Chapter 5

**One Last Semester WMHS – Chapter 5**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The days grew longer as winter loosened its grip on the North West corner of Ohio. The snows receded and the land was reclaimed by the green promise of spring.

Without a plan, time had moved agonizing slow for Finn. Time was now moving like a runaway train. Graduation was in sight. Finn had looked forward to graduation since the first day he entered William McKinley High School as a freshman, now that glorious day of freedom was marked with a hint of dread. Not dread for the future, but dread of being separated from Rachel in August. Every day with her was a gift.

Regionals were upon them before they knew it. This time New Directions was ready as the school activity bus made its way toward Columbus, Ohio. It turned out that Aural Intensity didn't put up much of a fight, and the Hipsters had only grown older. The Jane Adams School for Girls was on probation and didn't show up.

That night in the audience, both Blaine and Kurt winced when the Dalton Academy Warblers were introduced. Their matching uniforms, identical dance steps, and a medley of Billy Joel's greatest hits clearly impressed the judges.

"Do you think we have a chance against that?" Kurt whispered to Mercedes as they watched from the audience.

"As smooth as they are, they don't have any girl power," Mercedes whispered back to Kurt with a sly smile.

The Warblers finished their set and now it was New Directions' turn.

Their group number came first and it was Kelly Clarkson's _Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) _with Santana and Mercedes on lead_._ Mike and Brittany had the judges in awe of their slick dance moves.

Rachel then pumped the judges higher with Rihanna's _Only Girl_. Finn felt like they had won as the choreography and lyrics wove all of them in and out of center stage.

Then New Directions shifted the tempo to a slower pace as Blaine and Rory began the last number in velvet black darkness.

As the house lights came up, the dry ice had produced a rolling fog that crossed the stage like a river. Blaine stepped into the lone spot light and began a rendition of the Righteous Brothers' _Unchained Melody_ that rivaled the original. He was soon joined on stage by Rory whose falsetto complimented Blaine perfectly. By the time the two had reached the final soaring note, even the judges were on their feet cheering.

The two hour bus ride home started out as a jubilant celebration as New Directions hoisted their first place trophy onto the bus.

Rachel and Finn hurried to get the back seat. Finn settled into the corner and pulled Rachel into his arms holding her tightly.

"Babe, you were amazing tonight," Finn said as he nuzzled into her neck. "Vocal Adrenaline had better look out because Rachel Berry is on the way."

"We have to get ready for them first," Rachel smiled as she lay her head on Finn's chest. She was soon asleep in the warm, safety of his arms. Finn looked out the school bus window at the full moon that seemed to be chasing them in the cloudless night sky. Soon everyone was asleep except for Finn and the bus driver as they rambled back toward Lima. Finn watched Rachel sleep as they made their way home. "Sleep peacefully my love," Finn whispered to her as he held her close and gently swept the hair from her face with his fingers tips.

-/-

For the seniors, their final semester at McKinley raced by. Finn and Rachel stayed busy with his classes and Glee. When basketball season was over Finn joined the cross country track team. In the back of his mind he was preparing for boot camp. He had read how many recruits wash out, and he didn't want to be one of them. Mike Chang had always been a stand-out on the track team, and he paced Finn as they ran the long miles across the back country of Ohio side by side. Finn was getting ready for what was ahead. In the warming spring sun, Finn's skin became tanned and his muscles harder. It took some convincing to get Puck to join them, but he was soon there with Mike and Finn stride for stride as the miles clicked by.

At the same time Rachel and Kurt were preparing for life in New York in August. During their one week spring break they drove to the big city to check out the apartment market where they would be living. What they were looking for and what they could afford turned out to be two entirely different things. Burt was stunned when Kurt called him to tell him what an efficiency would cost, and it was still five block from campus.

Finn and Blaine had gone with them, and Finn was only seeing the negative side of the imposing city. Would Rachel be safe there? How could he protect her when he would be half a world away probably in Afghanistan? Finn was uneasy at the prospects of leaving his girl and his brother in such a cold concrete place, but this was their dream.

"Rachel do you think the two of you will be safe here?" Finn asked as a building superintendent showed them what was available in his building. "I mean it's not Ohio, and you'll have to walk five blocks just to get to your classes. What are you going to do when it's winter and there's two feet of snow on the ground? I would just feel better if the two of you stayed in the dorms."

"Finn, you know that they won't let us be roommates and Kurt and I would really like to be together since we don't know anyone else in this town. We're just getting started in our apartment search, surely something else will open up as we get closer to August," Rachel said to Finn who was giving a critical eye to the empty apartment that they were looking at.

"There might be a few more openings when NYU, Julliard, and NYADA graduates in May, but as for waiting until August you can forget it," the building superintendent interrupted. "I already have two reservations and a waiting list."

Kurt and Rachel looked dejected when they walked back to where they had parked Kurt's Navigator. Finn just looked worried.

"We've just begun our apartment search. We have a few more days to scout things out," Rachel said to Finn as he helped her into the back seat of the black vehicle. "Surely something else will turn up. Kurt and I would make the perfect roommates. Who else would put up with us? I could end up with an axe murderer for a room mate in the dorms."

"And you could end up meeting an axe murderer walking back and forth to class," Finn reminded her.

"Honestly Finn, you're the one being dramatic now," Rachel teased her boyfriend as Kurt drove back to where they were staying.

Back at their hotel, the room assignments that they had promised their parents didn't go as the parents had instructed. Finn and Rachel were in one room while Blaine and Kurt were in the room next door with an adjoining door. Both rooms were furnished with two queen size beds each, but two of the beds were never used.

"I wish that we could stay like this," Rachel said as she snuggled under the covers next to Finn's side.

"Me too," Finn said as he turned on his side to face her. "I could spend the rest of my life in bed with you."

Rachel nudged Finn onto his back as her kisses were becoming urgent. She was tugging at Finn's T-shirt just as there was a knock on the adjoining door.

"Go away!" Finn yelled at the door. "We're busy!"

"You'd better not be too busy," Kurt yelled back through the door. "If you make our parents into grandparents, they're going to know that we switched rooms."

Rachel and Finn burst into laughter.

"I heard that," Kurt answered unamused. "Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that Blaine found an article for Fort Hamilton in Long Island in one of these complimentary tourist magazines in our room. It's an Army base not far from here. If we have any extra time, would you like to check it out?"

Finn opened the adjoining door and looked down at his brother imposingly. "Kurt you and I are both eighteen and here we are in New York City without parents. You and Blaine have a hotel room all to yourselves. Is looking at the tourist brochures all that you two can think of to do?"

Kurt handed the brochure to his brother and closed his side of the adjoining door.

The next day, the four were scouring the classified section of _The New York Times_ for apartment buildings in the area. After the hotel's free breakfast, the four set out on their scouting trip again.

By the end of the day they had seen eight buildings in the area and toured the dorms on campus again. With information in hand, they headed back to their hotel.

"Maybe staying in the dorms wouldn't be so bad," Rachel said dejectedly. "It would be closer to our classes and next year when Blaine joins us he'll be helping with the rent. We can afford something better then."

"I'm not ready to give up hope," Kurt replied. "We have some leads, and we're on several waiting lists for openings. Maybe a sub-let will open up."

"Well if we don't make up our minds soon, all of the dorm space will be taken," Rachel groaned blowing her bangs out of face.

Near the end of their last day in New York City, the four rode out to Fort Hamilton in Long Island. Finn read the sign at the entrance, "North Atlantic Headquarters for the Army Corps of Engineers, The 1179th Transportation Brigade, The 722nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, The Harbor Defense Museum, The United States Center for Military History."

Finn was mesmerized by the coming and going of the officers and personal at the front gate. Through the fence they could see soldiers jogging in precision not far away as their drill instructor barked orders followed by "Sir, Yes Sir," in marked unison.

"So this is what you're going to be doing? I just wish that they didn't shave your head," Rachel said looking at all of blue heads that jogged by on the other side of the fence. "Running my finger through your amazing hair is one of my favorite things to do."

"I'm going to be in South Carolina at Fort Jackson. My shaved head will tan up nicely in the sun. By the time you see me at graduation; my hair will be back. I just have to keep the high and tight regulation hair cut until after boot camp."

Finn didn't tell his three friends that he was thrilled but still a little scared of what was ahead for him. To be part of the Army felt like he was going to be part of a very large family. A band of brothers. A family that looked after their own. Finn was also scared about the idea of going into combat. Could he pull the trigger if he had to kill or be killed?

Leaving New York City, the four headed back to Lima. They took turns driving and sleeping. The cadence that the soldiers had been sing-sponging as they jogged was stuck in Finn's head.

"_Above the land_

_Across the sea_

_We're every where_

_We need to be._

_We're brothers of_

_A special kind,_

_A better band_

_You'll never find._

_Band of brothers,_

_That's what we are._

_Fighting evil,_

_Near and far._

_Band of Brothers_

_That's what I said,_

_Baptized by fire_

_Scarred by lead_.

_We're lean and mean_

_And fit to fight,_

_Anywhere_

_Day or Night._

_When bullets fly,_

_And rockets fall,_

_We'll give our all._

_We'll stand our ground_.

_When you hear _

_Our battle cry,_

_You better move_

_And step aside_

_Band of Brothers,_

_That's what I said,_

_Mess with us,_

_We'll shoot you dead._

_Band of Brothers_

_Trained to kill._

_If we don't get cha,_

_Our sisters will._

-/-

Spring break hadn't lasted long enough. Nationals would be in a month and Vocal Adrenaline had won their Regionals as everyone expected. There was also the prom and ultimately graduation to plan for.

On their first Monday back after spring break, Mr. Schue called his two co-captains into his office before the first bell.

"How was spring break? Did you and Kurt have any luck finding an apartment in New York City?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Spring break and New York City were great. No we didn't sign a lease or reserve an apartment, but we're on several waiting list. Is that what you called us in for?" Rachel asked her Glee director.

"No, I was going through my school mail this morning, and this letter came from the National Show Choir Governing Board. It's a list of who's going to Nationals. I thought that you might be interested in the two schools representing Ohio on the second page."

Rachel quickly turned the page and read out loud,

"William McKinley High School, New Directions under the direction of Mr. William Schuster.

Carmel High School, Vocal Adrenaline under the interim direction of Mr. Jessie St. James."

"Mr. Schue, how can this be? Jessie doesn't even have a college degree. How can he be directing Vocal Adrenaline?" Rachel asked with her eyes and mouth wide open with shock.

"Apparently you don't need a college degree or a teaching certificate to direct a show choir. The Carmel alumni had Justin Goolsby fired last year for a second place finish. I guess the alumni have deep enough pockets and influence to get anybody they want. I just wanted you to know that Jessie is back in our lives again," Mr. Schue said indifferently.

"Just when I thought he was out of mine," Finn groaned.

-/-

The Army cadence "Band of Brothers" was written by R. Shano

Until the next chapter, thank you for following my story. Reviews are inspiration! Sincerely, Whistler Nights.


	6. Chapter 6

**Senior Prom - Chapter 6**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Prom week was bizarre. All of the girls except for Rachel were in a frenzy over their dresses and what to do with their hair. Finn had asked Rachel if she had wanted to run for prom queen since she didn't get a chance to run during their junior year. She had said no. She only wanted to dance with him and enjoy their last prom and their friends without any drama.

After junior prom, Kurt and Blaine weren't even going.

When asked about a corsage, Rachel had only asked for a single flower that she could put in her hair in any color. This had puzzled Finn so he asked his mom for advice. Carole had advised her son to ask for white gardenias with a white bow. White would go with any color.

The day of the prom arrived and Finn spend that Saturday scrubbing his old faithful blue truck inside and out. He really wanted to get a limo for Rachel, but she wasn't interested in one. That old truck held a world full of their best memories together. No need to change things now.

Finn started getting himself cleaned up for their big night around four. He had dreaded the whole fiasco last year, but this year he was actually looking forward to it. Blaine and Kurt were watching a design show on TV when Finn came down the steps in his tux. Carole was speechless when she came out of the kitchen to see Finn ready to go. He was wearing a black tux with a white shirt, and a silver bow tie.

"Oh my," was all Carole could say as she looked at her son from the top of his perfect hair down to his shinny black shoes. "I am so proud of you. Rachel's going to be blown away when she sees you."

"Blaine and I also approve," Kurt got up from the couch to work on Finn's not quite right bow tie. "You may be elected prom king just on write in votes alone."

"Rachel and I aren't running. I hope to be long gone before any of the votes are even read," Finn said holding his chin up so Kurt could work his magic on the disobedient bow tie.

"I hope that you aren't planning any more fights and being thrown out of the prom like last year," Carole said raising an eyebrow.

"No Mom. Not unless that Jesse creep shows up again. He can't get in unless he's the prom date of a student and has a ticket. Rachel's going with me so I know that she won't be his date. I might make a mess of Jacob Ben Israel's face if he bothers Rachel again, but I think I scared him off at the Valentine's Dance."

"Ask Hiram and Leroy to take lots of pictures of the two of you together and we want duplicates," Carole smiled as she stood on her tip toes to kiss her son on his cheek.

Finn almost forgot the flowers in the refrigerator, but Blaine remembered them and ran after Finn.

"Thanks man," Finn said as Blaine handed him the flowers through the driver's window. "I'm sorry that you and Kurt are going to miss the prom because of a bunch of haters."

"It's okay. We're going to spend the weekend doing stuff together. Tonight we're grilling out in the back yard for your parents and then we're going into town for a movie. Maybe all of the haters will be at the prom and will leave us alone."

"I sure hope so," Finn said as he thanked Blaine again. "And Blaine, thanks for making Kurt so happy. You've been good for him."

Finn pulled up in front of Rachel's house and parked his truck in her drive way. Holding the flower box in his hand, he rang the doorbell to be greeted by both Hiram and Leroy.

"She'll be right down. Let me go and tell her that you're here," Hiram said as he pointed at the couch for Finn to sit.

"She's coming," Hiram said a few minutes later while Leroy adjusted his camera on the tripod.

Finn got up and walked over to the foot of the staircase and waited for Rachel to appear.

When she did, she was a vision in white. Her dress was a long strapless mermaid style dress that accented her curves perfectly. A slit in the side showed off her perfectly tanned left leg and her sparkly stiletto heels.

Slowly Finn regained his ability to speak and when he did he said, "You look like a bride."

"Oh no!" Rachel cried as she turned to run back up the stairs. "The woman at the formal wear shop assured me that this wasn't a wedding dress. Give me five minutes and I'll change into something else."

"No, please don't change!" Finn yelled as he ran up the stairs behind her. "You've never looked more beautiful!"

"But Finn, I don't want to embarrass you. This dress was just so beautiful and it fits me like a glove. When I saw it on the rack it was like it was speaking to me."

"I'm glad that it did," Finn whispered to her on the stairs. "You'll be the most gorgeous girl there. Everyone's going to so jealous of me having you on my arm. Please don't change. I didn't know what kind of flowers to get you, but I know that you like gardenias," Finn said offering her the flower.

Would you help me pin it in my hair?" Rachel asked. "I want it the back behind my ear."

Sure, I'll be glad to help you, but you know that I'm all butter fingers.

As Finn helped her secure the gardenia in her hair, he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her swan like neck that her up do revealed.

Finn escorted his date back down the stairs as she clung to his arm for balance. Her sparkling Cinderella shoes with the three inch stiletto heels made the stairs difficult.

"The two of you will be the most handsome couple there," Leroy gushed as he met his daughter with a kiss on the cheek.

After the usual barrage of pictures, Rachel said that they had better be on their way if they were going to make it to Breakstixs on time.

"But no, Hiram interrupted. "Leroy and I have prepared dinner for you her. We have decorated the patio and we will be serving dinner to you tonight in your own private café."

"But we have reservations"

"No a problem, it's all been taken care of," Hiram instructed as he led the couple to the patio that was decorated with flowers and candles.

Leroy appeared dressed as a French waiter complete with a white bar towel over his arm.

"The special of the house is a vegan inspired salad and a baked potato for mademoiselle and a sirloin with French fries for monsieur. Is this acceptable?" Leroy asked in his best French accent.

"Qui," Rachel giggled as Hiram produced a bottle of sparking cider and two champagne glasses. Leroy returned with a cutting board complete with French bread.

After their private French café dinner, Rachel and Finn thanked her dads as Finn escorted Rachel to his waiting truck.

Closing the driver's door behind him, Finn turned to Rachel before starting the truck. I'm sorry that my old truck isn't going to turn into a coach with eight white horses that you deserve. It's just a pumpkin. It's a clean pumpkin, but still just a pumpkin."

"Old Blue is perfect. I don't need a limo or a coach with eight white horses. We started falling in love in this truck, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Rachel leaned over and gave Finn a kiss as his arms wrapped around her. "Are you sure that you still want to go to the prom?" Finn whispered between kisses.

"I think we should. Don't look now but Dad and Daddy are staring at us from the front window of my house."

Embarrassed Finn broke the kiss and saw Hiram and Leroy with the curtains pulled open waving at them.

"Okay let's go," Finn blushed while rubbing the lipstick from his mouth with his fingers.

When Finn and Rachel entered the gym, all eyes seemed to be on them. Finn in his black tux and Rachel in her white gown seemed to be glowing. Their friends had secured a corner of the gym and had saved two seats for them. The theme for the prom was Evening in Paris, and the AV club had gone to great lengths to create a towering papier-mâché Eiffel Tower in the center of the gym floor.

"Do you two realize that the two you look like a bride and groom?" Mercedes whispered to Rachel when Finn left to get some punch.

"I was afraid of that," Rachel blushed.

"Don't be. You're the most breath taking couple here, and I wouldn't be surprised if you and Finn are elected prom queen and king."

"We're not running," Rachel assured Mercedes.

"Kurt wasn't running last year, but he won on write in votes."

Later Finn said to Rachel, "I'm ready to leave. Let's get out of here."

"You want to leave now? I'd like to see who wins prom king and queen." Rachel asked her date.

"It won't be us. Just follow me. I have a surprise for you."

Leaving the gym, Finn and Rachel made their way to the main building. Finn directed her to a side door with a key that had been slipped to him by an unassuming Spanish teacher.

Entering the auditorium, the stage was lit with a single spot light. "I want to slow dance with you, just the two of us. Mr. Schue helped me set this up."

Rachel offered Finn her hand as he helped her up the steps to the stage. "I wanted our prom to be special." Flipping on the CD player, the stage was filled with a soft recording of Barbara Streisand's _People Who Need People_.

"I don't need a lot of people in my life," just you Rachel Berry.

"You set this up? All for me?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, Mr. Schue and your dads helped me."

"My dad's were in on this?"

"It was Leroy's idea to have dinner on your patio," Finn smiled weakly.

As they slow danced, Finn pulled back for a second and said to the girl in his arms. "You know everyone in there said that we looked just like a bride and groom. If we were married, we could go home to the same bed and love each other all night long. We wouldn't have to do this sneaking around just to be together."

"If you're asking me to elope, I'm flattered, but I couldn't take that away from my dads. They've planned for my wedding day my entire life."

"I know I couldn't do that to my mom either, but hang onto this dress, you look amazing in it."

"I could never use this dress for my wedding dress. A groom isn't supposed to see his bride in her dress until she walks down the aisle. It's bad luck."

"With you by my side, there's no such thing as bad luck," Finn whispered as they danced slowly.

There little world was soon interrupted by a roar of cheers from the near by gym.

"They must have announced the winners."

"I've already won," Finn smiled. "She's right here with me."

Rachel and Finn danced on to the medley of Streisand tunes that Finn had put together, but his phone kept vibrating in his pocket. After the third time he pulled the annoying thing out to check it.

"It's my Mom; I had better check my messages.

Finn grew white as he listened to the first message from his mother. He snapped his phone closed and told Rachel that they had to get going fast.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked as Finn pulled her toward the door.

"It's Kurt and Blaine. Some thugs jumped them outside the movie theater. We need to get over to the emergency room stat."

-/-

Thank you so much for the reviews and all of the encouragement. I appreciate the review and story alerts so much. Until the next chapter, Whistler Nights


	7. Sticks and Stones  Chapter 7

**Sticks and Stones – Chapter 7**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Finn burst through the emergency room doors with Rachel in hot pursuit. She had hiked her prom dress up above her knees and she was carrying her heels as she ran barefoot.

"Where are Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson?" Finn practically screamed at the receptionist.

"Keep you voice down, and don't speak to me like that young man or I'll have security remove you! Have a seat and wait your turn!"

"Over here Buddy," Burt motioned for Rachel and Finn to join him and Carole where they were seated in the emergency waiting room with Blaine's parents.

"Where are Kurt and Blaine? Are they alright?" Finn asked in a panic.

"Your brother and Blaine are in the back; both of them are going to need surgery. Kurt has a broken jaw and they're going to wire his jaw shut. Blaine has several broken ribs and one of them punctured his left lung. The two of them are lucky to be alive," Burt said unaware that he was clinching and unclenching his fists in anger.

"Do they have any idea who did this?" Finn asked in confusion.

"They were jumped when they left the movie theater and were found in an alley near the parking lot. I knew I should have never agreed to let Blaine leave Dalton and transfer to a public school." Mr. Anderson seethed. "This is the second time that Blaine has been beat to a pulp! This would have never happened if he were still at Dalton!"

"Are you saying that someone from McKinley did this?" Finn asked Mr. Anderson point blank.

"We don't know anything yet. A woman at the theater ticket window told the police that she saw a group of teen age looking boys follow Blaine and Kurt out when they left the theater."

"Did she get a description of any of them? Our prom was tonight and almost everyone was there."

"McKinley isn't the only high school in the area. The theater has been showing late night runs of _Rocky Horror,_ and the manager told the police that they have been getting a lot of out-of-towners, especially teenagers," Carole told her son.

"Where are the police now?" Rachel asked.

"They left a few minutes ago. A doctor told them that it would be morning before they could talk to Blaine or Kurt." Mrs. Anderson softly sobbed while holding onto her husband's hand.

"Rachel, do you want me to take you home?" Finn asked.

"I want to stay until we know something."

Finn removed his tux jacket and wrapped it around Rachel as she sat down next to Carole.

The minutes seemed to pass like hours as the six of them waited and waited. Rachel called her dads and told them what had happened. Hiram and Leroy brought Rachel a comfortable change of clothes and joined the vigil. No one mentioned gay bashing, but it was on everyone's mind.

Time moved in slow motion as they waited. Patients came and went, and the two AM television program was just an irritating blur in the background. The three men took turns pacing until the early morning cleaning crew sent them retreating to their seats to avoid the vacuum cleaners and soggy mops.

A surgeon from Kurt's operating room finally emerged and told them that Kurt's jaw had been wired shut so his broken jaw bone could heal. He also had bruised ribs and minor cuts that they had repaired.

Another hour passed before they received any word about Blaine. He had several broken ribs and one had puncture his left lung causing it to collapse. His shoulder had also been dislocated. Of the two of them, Blaine was in the worst shape.

"When can we see them?" Finn asked the surgeon.

"Both of them are in recovery now. It will be morning before either of them is awake enough to talk to you. If you would like to go home and get some rest, now would be the time," the doctor advised.

"Could you put them in the same room?" Carole asked. "I know that they would want to be together."

"All of our rooms are private rooms, but we'll see what we can do," the doctor said before leaving them.

News of what had happened spread like wild-fire and soon the emergency waiting room was filling up with Blaine and Kurt's friends.

Hiram and Leroy got up to go home and motioned for Rachel to accompany them.

"It's getting crowded in here so Hiram, Rachel, and I will be heading home. Call us as soon as you know anything," Leroy said to Finn.

"I'll take her home," Finn told her dads. "We'll be right behind you."

Finn told his mother that he would be back in an hour and that he would bring some decent coffee with him.

Inside Finn's truck, Rachel still looked stunned. "Thank you taking me home, but I could've gone home with my dads," Rachel said weakly.

"I know, but I needed to get out of there for some fresh air, and I wanted to talk to you without half of Lima overhearing us. Rachel, I'm getting second thoughts about the Army. I need to be here for you and Kurt. I haven't come out and said it, but I'm afraid for you being in New York alone and Blaine has another year at McKinley."

"Finn you've already signed up, I don't know if you can get out that easily now. Kurt and I'll be in New York where people aren't quite so narrow minded, and I'll bet that Blaine goes back to Dalton for his senior year after this."

"I know, but I feel so helpless. I'm going to feel even more helpless eight thousand miles away," Finn said rubbing his forehead. "I'm going half a world away to fight hatred and its right here in my own back yard happening to my family."

"Finn, you had no way of knowing that this was going to happen. You're here now, and you still couldn't have stopped this. Kurt and I'll be okay in New York, we'll look after each other. I promise."

Finn dropped Rachel off at her house just as the sun was coming up. The sky was ablaze with a red sunrise and the distant clouds were threatening a storm. The wind was picking up and a few last lingering leaves whipped about them as Finn walked Rachel to her door.

"The sky is blood red," Finn said to Rachel as they stood on her porch taking in the eerie looking sky.

"What's that old weather forecast? Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning."

"I don't know anything about sailors and the weather, but when we find out who did this, they're going to be sorry. They don't need a warning," Finn said before he turned to leave.

"Can I have a kiss good-bye before you go?" Rachel asked softly.

"How could I forget? I've just had my mind on everything else that's happening."

Finn flashed his dimples before he leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Thanks for the loan of your jacket," Rachel smiled against his lips as she pulled the tux jacket from her shoulders.

"Rach, I gotta get back, but I meant what I said last night. You did look just like a bride in that dress. Hank onto to that dress for me, okay?"

"I promise, but call me when either Blaine or Kurt wakes up."

Finn ran by his house and changed out of a very wrinkled tux into a t-shirt, jeans, and a hoodie. On the way back to the hospital he stopped and bought everyone some coffee. They had been drinking coffee out of the hospital venting machine all night and needless to say it was awful.

When Finn entered the hospital, his family and Blaine's family were gone. Waiting for him he spotted Mercedes and Tina.

"Where's everyone?" Finn asked juggling the coffee.

"They have moved Blaine and Kurt to a private room and your mom asked us to wait for you. They're in room 416 on the fourth floor."

"Thanks girls, I owe you one," Finn said as he made his way to the elevator.

Finn entered room 416 to find Burt and Carole hovering over Kurt, and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were doing the same thing at Blaine's bed side.

"How are they? Are they awake yet?" Finn asked quickly darting his eyes from one bed to another and back again.

"Blaine is trying to wake up. He has been moving about and moaning," Mrs. Anderson said never taking her eyes off of her son.

"Kurt has been awake, but he keeps drifting back to sleep. The nurses said to let both of them sleep as much as they could," Carole said holding her hand out to Finn.

Finn couldn't believe his eyes. If he hadn't of know that it was Kurt, he would have never recognized him. One eye was swollen shut and the side of his face was dark purple. His mouth was wired so that he couldn't speak if he wanted to.

Blaine was worse. His face and hands were black and swollen. A breathing tube was helping him to breath. One arm was in a sling and his shoulder was marked with a blood stained bandaged where an incision had been made to repaired the dislocation.

Both boys were hooked up to IV lines and heart monitors. Their monitors were beeping in time with each other.

Kurt's one undamaged eye blinked open when he heard Finn's voice.

"Can you hear me?" Finn asked "Blink twice you can."

Kurt tried to speak but couldn't move his jaw.

"It's okay Bro," Finn said to his step brother. "Your jaw is broken and the doctors had to wire it shut until it heals. Don't try to talk, I'll run out later and see if I can find one of those miniature white board like Mr. Schue's."

Kurt tried his best to speak, but all that came out was a garbled, "Bain?"

"Blaine's going to be okay," Carole reassured Kurt. "We asked the doctors to let you share a room with him for now. Turn your head and you can see him."

Kurt tried to turn his head but winced loudly in pain.

"Let me move his bed a bit and maybe he can see Blaine better," Finn offered.

Finn cranked the head of Kurt's bed up a little more and then pushed the bed over so Kurt could see Blaine. Kurt's one open eye blinked with horror at the sight of his boyfriend. A hushed, garbled cry escaped his throat when he saw the damage.

"The doctors say that he's going to okay in time. He looks bad now because the thugs that did this broke three ribs and one rib punctured his lung."

"Do you know who did this?" Mr. Anderson stood and asked Kurt.

"Was Karofsky or Azimio in on this?" Finn blurted out suddenly.

Kurt struggled but shook his head no. Then he motioned for something to write on.

"Who are Karofsky and Azimio?" Mrs. Anderson asked.

"They're two guys that gave Kurt a hard time last year at McKinley. Karofsky has transferred to another school, and Azimio has backed off since Karofsky has been gone. Karofsky is the reason Kurt transferred to Dalton in the first place."

"Do the police need to question them?" Mr. Anderson asked.

Kurt shook his head no again.

Carole had found the back of an old shopping list and a pen in her purse. She placed it on Kurt's hospital table and placed the pen in Kurt's hand.

Did you recognize any of them?" Finn asked Kurt again.

Kurt only wrote, "Maybe" before the pen fell from his hand.

Blaine began to stir and then suddenly bucked as the breathing tube was chocking him.

"He's breathing on his own now, and the breathing tube needs to come out. Try to keep him calm and still while I find someone to remove it." Carole instructed as she headed out the door.

"Having a nurse for a mom comes in handy," Finn said to Blaine as he tired to hold him still on his bed.

"You have a breathing tube, be still until they can get it out," Finn reassured Blaine. "Kurt's right here with you. You're in St. Rita's Hospital, but you're both going to be okay."

Carole soon returned with a nurse and two doctors all in latex gloves who asked both families to wait in the hall.

While the two families were waiting in the hallway, two uniformed police officers stepped out of the elevator. Rachel had also ridden up on the same elevator with them. She was carrying a small white board, a dry erase marker, and two small bunches of flowers.

"How are they? Do you know anything yet?" Rachel whispered to Finn.

Finn led Rachel toward the end of the hall before he spoke to her. "Both of them are awake, and the doctors are in there now removing Blaine's breathing tube. I asked Kurt if it was Karofsky and he said no."

"I thought the same thing," Rachel whispered. "I don't think Azimio was involved either. I remember seeing him at the prom."

"Who could have missed him," Finn smiled. "In that red zoot suit he looked like a pimp daddy."

"And the red fedora, the chains, and the spats completed the look." Rachel giggled softly.

Carole approached the couple as they were talking and told them that the police had a few questions for them while the doctors were still in with Blaine and Kurt. They were basically the same questions that the police had just asked the four parents. The officers wanted to know about McKinley and did Finn or Rachel know if anyone there had been harassing the two injured boys. Finn told them about the previous year with Karofsky and Azimio.

The doctors soon came out and asked the officers to limit their questions for Blaine to yes and no questions and that Kurt would have to write out his answers.

The officers came into the room with the two families behind them. After they introduced themselves, they told the two boys what they had found out and asked if they recognized any of their assailants. Blaine only shook his head no. Kurt took white board from Rachel and wrote that he may have seen one of the boys before, but he didn't know from where. One officer asked Kurt if it was anyone from McKinley or Dalton. Kurt wrote no.

Kurt tried hard to remember where he had seen that face before, but it just wouldn't come to him. Everything in his head was so mixed up.

After the police left, Burt told Kurt that he was taking Carole home for some rest. Finn didn't want to go, but his mother insisted. It was a stormy Sunday and everyone could use a day of rest. Kurt was responding well, but the doctors wanted to keep him one more night before he would be discharged on Monday morning. Blaine was a different story. Fearing pneumonia or that his lung would collapse again, the doctors told the Andersons that he would be in the hospital at least a week.

On Monday Finn picked Rachel up for school looking exhausted.

"Did you get any rest?" Rachel asked.

"Not much. Kurt's going to be discharged later today, and he should be home by the time we get out of Glee practice. He wants me to pick up his homework."

"Have the police found out anything else?" Rachel quizzed Finn.

"They have interviewed some more people who were at the theater and it sounds like gay bashing. These guys were calling them fags and homos. You know how people throw stuff at the screen at _Rocky Horror_? It started out that way, but Kurt and Blaine soon became the target of these five or six teenage boys according to witnesses."

"Did any of the witness give the police a description?"

"High school age boys is what the police are telling us. Heck they could be describing me for what's that worth," Finn said in disgust. "No one wants to get involved."

"Kurt does think that he recognized one of them from somewhere. Maybe when he gets home and his head clears, it will come to him," Rachel offered.

At Glee practice all anyone wanted to talk about was what had happened to their friends.

"Guys," Mr. Schue interrupted the chatter. "It's awful what has happened to Blaine and Kurt, but we have a decision to make. Nationals are less than two weeks away. Do we want to withdraw, or do we want to compete with two men down? We still have the thirteen members, but the decision is up to you."

"I think that Kurt would want us to compete, but I'll ask him when I get home," Finn volunteered. "It's not too late to rework our routines."

"I agree," Mike added. "I can fill in for Blaine's dance steps. We've come this far and it's the last chance for the seniors. I think Blaine and Kurt would want us to compete."

"Let's do it for them. Everyone that wants to compete, raise you hand," Mercedes commanded.

"The vote is unanimous," Mr. Schue announced. "It's going to take more late evening rehearsals, but we still have time to put this together."

It was dinner time when Finn finally arrived home. Kurt was propped up on pillows in the living room watching the local evening news. Burt and Carole sat with him as the news anchor reported the story of two local high school boys being beaten outside the theater on Saturday night. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Lima police. Kurt had to look away as the camera panned the parking lot where he and Blaine had been cornered.

"Do you remember anything else?" Carole asked taking Kurt's bruised hand in hers. Kurt shook his head no and looked away again.

"Kurt, New Directions voted and we've decided to compete at Nationals. We want to do this for you and Blaine. Is that okay?"

Kurt wrote on his white board, "Yes please. We've come too far to stop now. Did you bring my homework?"

"Yes, I've got your homework, but your teachers said not to worry about it until you feel better," Finn said handing Kurt his assignments.

"I need something to do," Kurt wrote back.

The Hummel/Hudson family had their dinner that night in relative silence. Kurt was on a liquid diet and the others really didn't eat much as they rolled their food back and forth on their plates deep in thought.

After about fifteen minutes of silence Finn wiped his mouth on his napkin and threw it in his plate. "If I may be excused, I'd like to run over to the hospital and check on Blaine before I start my homework. Can Kurt come with me?"

"If you'll look after him, he can go. Just make sure that he doesn't try to talk and don't be gone long. You still have your homework to do," Burt said to Finn.

Kurt seemed to brighten up as Finn helped him with his jacket and into his truck.

"Don't say anything. I know that you're worried about Blaine. We all are. When we get back, you're going straight to bed." Finn ordered Kurt as he backed his truck out of the driveway and headed for the hospital to visit Blaine.

The next week flew by. If New Directions members weren't in class they were in rehearsals. All three of their competition numbers had to be retooled around Blaine and Kurt's parts.

Nationals were in Los Angeles this year. While everyone was worried about their friends, they were also excited about seeing Los Angeles and the west coast. The count down was on. Performance costumes were pressed and packed while dance steps were fine tuned. Win or lose, this performance was for Kurt and Blaine.

On Monday before Nationals on Saturday, Kurt returned to school and Blaine was released from the hospital. Blaine was on another week of bed rest at home. Kurt went to his classes and sat in on the Glee rehearsals. It was sad to see him sit through all of the preparations knowing that he wouldn't be going.

Vocal Adrenaline and New Directions would be flying out of the Cincinnati Airport for Los Angeles together on Friday. Burt and Carole had volunteered to drive some of the kids to the airport and Kurt wanted to go to see his friends off as well.

It was organized chaos at the Cincinnati Airport with dozens of teenagers and parents. Finn had gone to check in his and Rachel's luggage and had left Rachel guarding their carry-on bags.

Rachel was studying her itinerary when she heard a familiar voice and felt a pat on her shoulder.

"Hello Gorgeous! Long time no see!" Jesse said smoothly to Rachel as she whipped around to see him face to face. "Are you still with the Jolly Green Giant or has he abandoned you again?"

"Jesse, what are you doing here?"

"Didn't Mr. Schuster inform you? I'm the interim director of Vocal Adrenaline here to wipe up the floor with New Directions again," Jesse said with a smirk as he looked down at Rachel.

"How can that be? You don't have a college degree, you're not a teacher."

"Apparently you don't need a teaching degree to direct an after school activity like show choir. The alumni wanted me so here I am. They are paying me a lot to do this."

Rachel was standing there speechless as Kurt walked up and put his arm around her slender shoulders as a show of support.

Jesse took one look at Kurt's wired black and blue face.

"So, is this what a caged bird who can't sing looks like? Are you here for moral support? You can't be making the trip to LA looking like that. I overheard some of my students at Carmel talking about two McKinley guys taking a beating, I guess one of them was you," Jesse smirked.

"Back away from my girlfriend and my brother," Finn shouted as he stepped between Rachel, Kurt, and Jesse.

"I was just giving Kurt my condolences for his injuries. And I don't see a ring on her finger, so it's still open season for the lovely Miss Berry," Jesse glared at Finn.

"Jesse, I'm with Finn now. We've been a couple for over a year. We're committed to each other. Please leave us alone," Rachel asked.

"Are you planning on screwing up your team's chances again with another kiss like last year? You threw your team under the bus with that stupid stunt," Jesse sneered at Finn.

"That kiss was worth it, Rachel and I have been together ever since. It's none of your business so back off. I'm not telling you again St. Jack-Ass."

The heated conversation between Finn and Jesse was beginning to draw attention. New Directions was gathering behind Finn and Vocal Adrenaline was backing up Jesse. Airport security had also taken notice.

While Finn and Jesse were exchanging insults and spit, Kurt was noticing the Vocal Adrenaline members ganging up behind Jesse.

Kurt held tighter to Rachel when he recognized a face in the crowd, "That's him!" Kurt grunted frantically into Rachel's ear as best as he could with his teeth wired together.

"Who?" Rachel asked.

"Him!" Rachel immediately understood as she saw the boy that Kurt was pointing at.

"Finn, Kurt says that's the guy from the fight!" Rachel cried pointing to a boy behind Jesse.

Finn turned his attention from Jesse to a muscular boy with short brown hair. Finn grabbed the boy by both hands. His hands were covered with healing scrapes, small cuts, and yellowish-green bruises.

"How did your hands get like this?" Finn screamed in the boy's face.

"Back off Hudson! That's Craig Hopkins and he's the star of Vocal Adrenaline!" Jesse yelled while trying to defend his student from Finn's rage.

"I don't care who he is! He's one of the boys that tried to kill Blaine and Kurt!" Finn screamed at Jesse taking his attention from Craig Hopkins for a second.

The Hopkins boy took the opportunity and swung hard hitting Finn squarely in the jaw. Finn came back swinging and floored him.

Rachel grabbed Kurt and pushed him to safety out of the churning mob of high school students.

Homeland Security was immediately on top of things and had Finn and Craig in handcuffs.

"Wait, you can't take him! He's our star, we can't win without him. Our plane leaves in less than an hour," Jesse yelled at the Homeland Security officers.

"Tough lucky Buddy, your friend shouldn't have thrown a punch in an airport. We have to get to the bottom of this before we can release either one of them."

Jesse stood their watching Homeland Security lead Craig and Finn away. Before Finn was out of ear-shot Jesse had to sling one more insult at Finn, "Don't worry if you miss your flight Hudson, I'll take care of Rachel in LA for you!"

Rachel had hung back with Kurt trying to keep him out of harm's way.

"What are we going to do? We can't leave without Finn. The other guy hit Finn first," Rachel said to Mr. Schuster who had joined them.

"We may have to if Homeland Security doesn't figure this out in time. Finn can still catch a later flight and join us before we have to compete in LA."

Rachel stood there sobbing into Kurt shoulder as Carole and Burt took off in the direction that Homeland Security had taken Finn.

"What are we going to do?" She cried softly into Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt pulled out a small note pad and wrote, "You're going to LA and kick some VA ass!"

Their flight was on time and the twelve remaining members of New Directions boarded without Finn, or Kurt, or Blaine.

As Rachel boarded the plane, Jesse stood up and offered her a seat beside him in first class. She told him to go to hell before she proceeded to the back of the plane and took her seat in coach.

-/- Until the next chapter, thank you for all of the reviews, suggestions, and opinions. Sincerely, Whistler Nights.


	8. Chapter 8

**Last Chance at Nationals – Chapter 8**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The flight from Cincinnati with both New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline on board touched down in Los Angeles right on time.

Rachel had stared at Finn's empty seat almost the whole flight wondering what was going on back in Ohio with Homeland Security and the guy from Vocal Adrenaline that Kurt had recognized as one of their assailants.

The coach passengers disembarked the airplane last. As Rachel passed through the first class section of the plane she noticed a note address "Rachel" lying in what was Jesse's first class seat. Still seething at him, she left the note untouched. "Let them clean it up with the rest of the trash," Rachel thought to herself as she got off the plane with her team mates.

Once inside the concourse, Rachel dialed Finn's cell phone number again. It went straight to voice mail. She was relieved to find her way to baggage claim without Jesse stalking her.

Finn's luggage had made the fight without him. Rachel asked the guys to help her find it on the luggage carousel and take it with them to their hotel.

Before leaving the LA airport, Rachel looked up at the flight board one more time. There was a red-eye fight that left Cincinnati after midnight that would put Finn in Los Angeles in time for the first round of competition if Homeland Security released him in time to make it.

Back in Cincinnati, Finn and Craig Hopkins were still in the Homeland Securities office being questioned. Burt, Carole, and Kurt were waiting outside the office. Kurt was finally called in and identified Craig as being one of the boys who had attacked he and Blaine outside the movie theater.

Feeling that this was a police problem and not a Homeland Security problem the Cincinnati police were called. It took another hour before two officers arrived at the airport to take them to police headquarters. Craig and Finn were brought to the police station for more questioning before the Lima police were contacted. Kurt had identified Craig as one of the boys who had attacked he and Blaine. Craig had thrown the first punch so the police saw no reason to hold Finn in custody any longer. When the Cincinnati police released Finn another two hour had ticked by.

Rachel was pacing the hotel room that she was sharing with Tina, Mercedes, and Sugar looking at her watch impatiently when her cell phone rang. It was Mr. Schue. New Directions would be having dinner together at 6:00 in the hotel's main dining room and then he had booked the hotel's largest conference room for reworking their routines again in case Finn didn't make it.

At dinner, Rachel couldn't help but notice Vocal Adrenaline on the far side of the large dining hall. Jesse seemed to be locked in a vigorous conversation with some adults who had been on the plane in first class with Jesse. "Probably some of Vocal Adrenaline alumni with deep pockets and influence that she had heard about," Rachel thought to herself. Jesse seen to be on the defensive as the two men and two women were in his face.

"Do you see that?" Mercedes asked Rachel. "When security was dragging Finn and that Vocal Adrenaline guy away at the airport, didn't Jesse say that the other guy was their star? If Jesse has stuck to his plan of one central performer, Vocal Adrenaline may be screwed."

"I've watched Vocal Adrenaline for two years, and that seems to be their formula. One central performer while the others dance and sing back-up around them. Jesse was their star two years ago and Sunshine was their star until she went back to the Philippines," Rachel smiled observing the dressing down that Jesse was taking in front of everyone.

"If that Craig guy is this year's star, their team may be a boat without a paddle," Rachel smiled to her friend.

Dinner was over by seven and the remaining twelve members of New Directions gathered in the large conference room on the second floor.

"Have you heard from Finn?" Mr. Schuster questioned Rachel anxiously.

"Not a word. His mother said that he was being questioned by Homeland Security at the airport before the Cincinnati police showed up. They're questioning Kurt too."

"We have enough members to compete, but just barely. All we have to do in get through the eliminations to stay in the competitions. Finn can join us when he gets here."

"I think we should be prepared in case Finn doesn't get here in time. How about it if switch up our songs and perform _I Will_ _Always Love You_ with Mercedes on lead. Finn isn't even in that one," Sam suggested.

"I agree with Sam," Mike offered. "Let's switch to _I Will Always Love You_ followed by Lady Gaga's _Edge of Glory_ with Santana on lead. We've got a great dance routine for _Edge of Glory_ and Finn is hardly even in it."

Everyone agreed and was working out the dance moves without Finn. There was a knock at the conference room door that Mercedes answered.

"Hell to the NO! What are you doing here?" Mercedes asked with a threatening look on her face.

"I'd, I'd like to speak to Rachel, if you don't mind." Jesse stammered to the imposing Mercedes.

"Maybe Rachel doesn't want to speak to you!" Mercedes sneered back.

"It's okay Mercedes, I'll talk to him. If we cause a scene we may get kicked out of this hotel." Rachel said appearing at the door behind Mercedes.

"What do you want?" Rachel asked as Mercedes walked away.

"I want to talk. Did you get the note that I left for you on my airplane seat?" Jesse asked. "I've been trying to call and text you but your number is blocked."

"I saw it but I never picked it up, Look Jesse I thought I made it clear that I'm in love with Finn, and I want you to leave us alone."

"I'm not worried about Finn Hudson at the moment. My star performer is being held by Homeland Security back in Cincinnati right now. I just talked to his parents and Craig won't we making the trip. The alumni are already all over me for depending on one central performer. If I don't come up with something quick, I won't have a job or anything if we don't win."

"Well thanks to your star performer, Kurt, Blaine, and Finn aren't here either. Now if you will leave me alone, New Directions has a lot of work to do, and you need to come up with another star."

"Rachel, will you be my star?" Jesse asked desperately before she closed the door.

"Are you insane? I'm a member of New Directions, and I'm not even a registered student at Carmel High School!" Rachel snapped at Jesse.

"I'm not asking you to join Vocal Adrenaline. I'm asking you to forget Finn and be with me. I know I've screwed things up between us more than once, but you and I would be so perfect together. Your mother told me that you're going to New York in the fall for school. Is Finn going with you?"

"No Finn is joining the Army. He reports for basic training in South Carolina in August."

"Then that's more the reason for us to be together. You're not cut out for the Army life. You're meant for the bright lights. I'm meant for the bright lights. We could take Broadway by storm together!" Jesse said grabbing Rachel's arm.

"Let go of me Jesse. I'm in love with Finn. You could never love me the way he does because you're in love with yourself. You're the only person that you'll ever love!"

"Is there a problem here?" Mr. Schue asked loudly as he interrupted the two at the conference room door.

"No, there's not a problem. Jesse was just leaving. He has to go back to his group and figure out a new game plan." Rachel snapped as she slammed the door in Jesse's face.

"Rachel, would you try calling Finn again and see what's going on?" Mr. Schue asked. "It's been hours and we haven't heard from him yet."

Hitting the first name on her speed dial, Rachel was surprised when Finn picked up.

"Hi Rach, I'm just leaving the police station in Cincinnati now. We had to wait for the Cincinnati police and they had a lot of questions. They're transferring that Craig Hopkins guy back to Lima for more questioning. Kurt identified him as one of the guys that jumped them. Burt is taking me to the airport now."

"I'm so glad to hear it! We've changed up our set lists in case you didn't make it. We're doing _I Will Always Love_ _You_ and _Edge of Glory_ in the first round."

"That's a good idea. I'll be there as fast as I can, but who knows if I can get a flight."

"We've all got our fingers and toes crossed that you make it in time. I love you; we'll do our best to stay in the competition until you get here. The guys picked up you luggage at LAX and it's in Puck's room now."

"I love you too, and I'll be there as quick as I can." Finn said as he and Burt parked at the Cincinnati airport.

Looking at the Arrivals/Departure board the last non-stop fight to Los Angeles had already left. There wouldn't be another non-stop until morning.

Burt was studying the available flights board with Finn in search of another flight.

"Finn you could fly to Chicago and get a connecting flight to Seattle and then to Los Angeles. You'll only have one long layover in Seattle," Burt suggested. "You'll be in Los Angeles by ten if everything is on time."

"I'll be on three different airlines, but at least I won't have to hassle with my luggage. Rachel said that it made the flight to Los Angeles with them."

"If that's what you want to do, then let's get a refund for your missed flight and buy a ticket to Chicago. I'll fill your mother in on the details," Burt offered handing Finn some extra money.

Thank Goodness that Finn's fight to Chicago was a short one. He was seated by a grandmother that was scared to deaths of flying and had a death grip on Finn's hand. Her Siamese cat was in a carry on bag under her seat and howled with every breath. The cat sounded like something from the depths of hell. Finn was safely in the O'Hare Airport before the felling ever returned to his hand.

The full flight to Seattle was even worse. Finn was trapped in a window seat beside a non-English speaking woman and her baby in a car seat between them. The child screamed bloody murder and grabbed at his ears when the plane reached altitude. The baby had been crying for an hour when Finn thought he would gag from an overpowering smell. The baby had produced a toxic waste diaper and the woman proceeded to change the diaper right there in her lap. Finn knew he was going to die when the woman motioned for him to hold the dirty diaper while she wiped poop from the baby's butt.

After the woman had the baby cleaned up and re-diapered, she proceeded to unbutton her blouse to feed the child. That was when Finn excused himself and managed to free himself from the window seat. There was a line for the rest room, but Finn was happy to wait. He let three people go ahead of him.

It was nearing sun up when the plane reached Seattle. Finn was never so glad to have his feet on land again. He had two hour lay-over, but he had long breakfast and then went in search of some magazines. At six o'clock he called Rachel.

"Finn where are you?" Rachel asked.

"I'm in Seattle." Finn answered. "I missed the last non-stop and I've been Hop-Scotching all over the North West all night. I won't land in LA until at least ten."

"You'll miss the first round of competition, but I think we have the performance covered without you. Have you gotten any sleep?"

"No but I can tell you two things. I officially hate cats and dirty diapers."

"Finn what are you talking about?" Rachel asked.

"I'll tell you when I get there. Is everyone ready?"

"We're ready; I just wish you were here. We're in the first group of twenty five to perform. Vocal Adrenaline is in the second group. Finn, they're going to compete without their main performer. It's going to interesting to see how they do."

"Yeah, that Craig Hopkins guy kept going on and on about how he was their leader and he had to be in LA while we were being questioned. Rach, he's a bigger douche than Jesse is." Finn smirked.

"Finn, Jesse came by here to see me last night."

"What did he want?"

"He wants me to dump you for him. He hasn't given up. I told him that I'm in love with you, and he could never love me the way you do. Jesse only loves himself."

"I can't believe that jerk can't get that through his thick head. Rach, I gotta go. They're calling for my flight to LA now. I'll call you as soon as we land."

At last Finn was on a plane heading for Los Angeles. The flight was over-booked and they were crammed in like sardines. Finn prayed for no more scared grandmas with cats or babies with ear problems and explosive diapers. This time he was seated between two businessmen. One had the hic-ups the whole flight while the other went to sleep and snored. Finn was grateful for no dirty diapers until the sleeping one rested his smelly head on Finn's shoulder.

In Los Angeles, New Directions drew the seventh position in the first round. Rachel kept looking at the exit waiting for Finn to appear. When New Directions was introduced Mercedes started low and in a single spotlight with a soulful _I Will Always Love You_. Then Santana hit the stage running as she began the opening bars of _Edge of_ _Glory_. Brittany and Mike took the stage with dazzling footwork while the others sang back up and worked the choreography behind them. The judges gave them their full attention and scribbled notes furiously. When they sat back down Rachel checked her phone again. There was still no new word from Finn.

"Let's go back to the hotel and wait for the results," Quinn suggested.

"Vocal Adrenaline is in the next group to perform. I would like to wait and see their performance," Mr. Schue said also scanning the crowd for Finn.

The leader-less Vocal Adrenaline took the stage within the hour. It was clear that a huge part of their performance was missing. There was no central performer and the others looked like they had no idea what they were doing. Their two songs were _California Girls_ by the Beach Boys and _California Gurls_ by Katie Perry.

Tina whispered to Sugar, "Looks like they're pandering to the judges."

Sugar wrinkled her forehead in disgust before she asked if pandering was legal in California.

It was a long morning. Rachel called LAX and Finn's flight was on time. All he had to do was hail a cab and get to the auditorium.

At the scheduled lunch break Finn still was not there, but he had called. He was on the ground and on his way. Rachel told him to meet them at their hotel for lunch.

"I have never been so glad to see a bunch of people in my whole life!" Finn exclaimed as he found his group in the crowded dining room.

Rachel hugged him before he bent down to kiss her. She told him all about the competition so far, and Finn told everyone about Craig Hopkins and how the Lima police were holding him.

Rachel asked him what he meant by cats and dirty diapers, and he told her that he would tell her all about his three flights later.

When the top ten show choirs were posted on Saturday evening, New Directions had made it. Vocal Adrenaline hadn't made the cut.

Rachel thought of Jesse for a moment and the tongue lashing that he would be getting from the Carmel alumni. He would probably end up walking back to Ohio.

Sunday afternoon brought the finals. New Directions checked out of their hotel and boarded their chartered bus for the auditorium with their luggage. Vocal Adrenaline boarded their chartered bus for a ride to the airport and the trip home.

Of the ten finalists, New Directions drew the ninth performance position. Finn started the set with _Mad World_ by Gary Jules on a darkened stage with a dry ice fog. Artie, Puck, Mike, and Rory followed with Coldplay's _Clocks. _Everyone joined Rachel on lead singing _I Wanna Dance With Somebody_ by Whitney Houston.

By the end of the evening New Directions had won the 2012 Nationals. Three years in the making and they were finishing on top. Celebrating and mass euphoria broke out. Finn kissed Rachel again on stage still not caring what was going on around them. He swung her around in his arms as the confetti fell around them like multi-colored snow.

As the auditorium gradually emptied, Mr. Schue headed his crew back toward the dressing rooms to change into some comfortable clothes for the trip home.

Outside the auditorium their charter bus waiting to take them to LAX and a late night flight back to Ohio.

Finn and Rachel were seated together near the back of the plane. They snuggled under their blanket and held each other close. The plane was cursing eastward in the black night sky. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Even the flight attendants had finished their duties and had settled for the long flight.

Rachel peeked her head up and looked around the plane's cabin and then whispered to Finn, "I know that you didn't get any sleep last night, but what do you think about joining the mile-high club?"

Finn smiled and then whispered, "That's a tempting offer, but I don't want to get expelled from school this close to graduation. How about a honeymoon in Paris? I'll hold you to your offer then."

-/- The next chapter will be graduation. Until next time, thank you for all of your reviews!

The song "I Will Always Love You" was made famous by Whitney Houston but was originally written and performed by Dolly Pardon.


	9. Chapter 9

**McKinley Class of 2012 – Chapter 9**

(I do not Glee or any of the characters. The Super Soaker is a product of Hasbro Inc.)

( Mild **Smut** warning for this chapter!)

Their graduation ceremony began in less than two hours and Finn was still working with his uncooperative neck tie. Frustrated he ran into Kurt's room to ask for help.

"Kurt could you stop texting Blaine long enough to help me with this tie? Please? I've got to go."

"Ou ill ant tie a tie?" (You still can't tie a tie?) Kurt asked through his wired teeth.

"You know I can't tie a tie. Help me and I'll try not to step on your toes in the graduation line," Finn asked his step-brother.

Kurt texted Blaine that he would call him back after he had helped Finn. Kurt reached for his taller brother's tie and tied it in a perfect double Windsor knot effortless. He gave the tie and extra tug and tightened it around Finn's neck.

"Whoa Buddy, you're choking me," Finn gagged as he slipped his fingers between the tie and his neck to loosen it.

"Ou is oweing to tie oar ties win I'm in New Ork?" (Who is going to tie your ties when I'm in New York?) Kurt struggled to say with his jaw wired shut. Me and Achel on't be ear to elp ou." (Me and Rachel won't be here to help you.)

You don't have to rub it in that you and Rachel will be in New York together, but you don't wear ties in the Army. I'll be in fatigues and a flack jacket. Well, you do wear them with your dress uniform, and the officers wear them, but I won't be wearing a tie that often. I don't see why I have to dress up for graduation anyway? Who's going to see what you have on under that cap and gown? Puck said that he was going to go buck naked and streak the place after they hand him his diploma."

"Anks oar e warning. I'll ook e utter ay win Uck alks across e age," (Thanks for the warning. I'll look the other way when Puck walks across the stage.) Kurt mumbled as he straighten Finn's now perfect tie.

"Thanks Buddy, I'll see you in the hall outside the auditorium in a little while. I have to go now and pick up Rachel at her house. Is Blaine going with you and our parents?" Finn asked as he threw his cap and gown over his arm.

Kurt just nodded and waved good bye to his step brother.

Downstairs Finn was stopped by Carole who was starting to cry as she eyed Finn up and down. "It seems like just yesterday when I took you to school for your first day of kindergarten. Now look at you. All grown up and ready to graduate. Where did the time go?"

"I know Mom, but I made it! I'm going to graduate! I wouldn't have made without you. I remember those multiplication drills and spelling words that you spent hours trying to get into my thick skull. I remember your helping me with my Shakespeare homework because I didn't have a clue what that dude was saying. I love you Mom."

"I love you too son, and just because you're all grown up, I'm still here for you," Carole sobbed as she kissed Finn on the cheek.

"Please don't cry Mom. You should be happy. Today Kurt and I are both graduating from high school! I've got to go if I'm going to pick Rachel up on time. I'll see you and Burt at the auditorium. Okay?"

"Okay son. Wave to us when you cross the stage."

Finn cranked up his old truck and was soon parking it in front of Rachel's house. Both of her dads had her in the front yard taking pictures of her in her cap and grown. Finn was soon pulled into the shots as Hiram and Leroy clicked away. Dozens of pictures later, Finn was helping Rachel into his truck.

At McKinley, Miss Pillsbury was already in a tizzy lining the graduating seniors up in the hallway adjacent to the auditorium. With the help of Coach Beiste and Coach Sylvester she was lining them up alphabetically which meant Finn would be immediately ahead of Kurt. Rachel was near the head of the line in front of Mike Chang. Quinn was somewhere between them.

After the death stare from Coach Beiste, the seniors finally quieted down and waited for the first strands of the Graduation March to begin. Finn surveyed the waiting line looking for his friends. Rachel, Mike, Quinn, Kurt, and Santana were all draped in scholastic honors and chords. He and Puck had none of the scholastic honors, but still they were glad just to be graduating.

Eyeing the neck of Puck graduation grown, Finn didn't see the mandated dress shirt collar and tie. Coach Beiste must have noticed the same thing because she pulled Puck from the line and into a classroom. He soon reappeared with what looked like a borrowed shirt and tie. Puck looked at Finn and mouthed the word, "Busted!"

Of everyone there, Miss Pillsbury seemed to be the most nervous. She kept peeking through the doors at the rear of the auditorium for her cue to start the processional from Will.

After the school superintendent and member of the school board were introduced, the band began playing the Graduation March. The rear auditorium doors opened, the crowd of proud parents stood, and in walked the long line of red robed seniors lead by the junior marshals.

Finn was soon standing in front of his seat by Kurt waiting for the last of his class to arrive. Principal Figgins then told them to be seated before he addressed the crowd and the speeches soon began. Finn was completely zoned out by this time. He began to daydream about his last four years at McKinley. He had been king at this place. He was a big fish in a small pond. Now he was going out into the world and would be a small fish in a colossal pond. But he had enlisted in the Army. He would soon be part of something that was a lot bigger than he ever imagined.

His mind continued to wander as he saw Rachel a row ahead of him. Her hair was glossy and moved with her. He remembered the first day that he really saw her in the hallway. She was walking alone to her next class while he was flanked by cheerleaders and football players. She had stood out to him. She held her head up high even though she wore the oddest clothes and seemed to have no friends at all. Now she was the love of his life.

It was June and in two short months, she would be leaving for New York with Kurt and he would be leaving for South Carolina with Puck. He planned on making the most of their last summer together in Lima.

Rachel was on the fast track to graduate in three years. Finn had signed up for a three year hitch in the Army. That would give him the most money for college and he would be discharged when Rachel graduated. Hopefully Rachel would then be starting a career on stage and Finn could begin his education.

Finn was jolted out of his day dream when the first row of seniors stood and made their way to the edge of the stage. Rachel was one of the first ones to cross the stage and Hiram and Leroy were clapping loudly. Though small, Finn thought she moved with all the grace of a gazelle as she seemed to float across the stage in slow motion. As soon as she had her diploma in hand she turned and waved to the crowd. That was when she saw Shelby in the crowd with Beth sitting on her lap. Puzzled, Rachel stared at Shelby until she made her way back to her seat and sat down.

Finn's row stood and waited for the junior marshal to give them the signal to move forward. Finn had to smile as he felt Kurt poke him in the back. A silent reminder from his brother not to step backwards onto his toes.

When Finn's name was called he took the stage in three long strides. "I made it!" Finn said to himself as he felt the diploma slip into his grasp. Kurt was right behind him.

At last the tassels were turned and the mortar boards were thrown into the air. The graduating class exited the auditorium the same way that they had come in while their parents stood in admiration of their children.

Rachel dropped out of line and waited for Finn to appear outside the auditorium doors. He spotted her immediately wrapped his arms around her twirling her in circles.

"Rach, we made it!" Finn whispered in her ear as he held her close. "We actually freaking made it!"

"Did you ever doubt that we wouldn't?" Rachel asked before she stood on her tip toes to give Finn a congratulatory kiss.

They were still kissing when their parents caught up with them in the high school foyer.

"That's enough of that," Burt said to Finn. Your mom and I and the Berry's want some pictures of you with your diplomas." Rachel reached up to wipe the lipstick from Finn's lips with her thumb.

Dozens of pictures were taken and Finn, Rachel, and Kurt were reeling from all of camera flashes. After many hugs and handshakes the graduating class of 2012 began to disburse with their friends and families.

Finn and Rachel were posing for a few last pictures with their friends when Rachel heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Rachel, I just wanted to congratulate you, both of you," Shelby said approaching Rachel and Finn.

Rachel turned and was face to face with her mother who was holding Beth.

"Shelby, I didn't expect to see you here. My how Beth has grown!"

"I know we weren't invited, but I couldn't miss the chance to see you graduate. I hope that you don't mind that we just showed up," Shelby said taking Rachel's hand.

"No, I'm glad that you came. I didn't know if you would want to come," Rachel offered meekly.

"I just want you to know how deeply proud I am of you. I won't keep you two. I know that you probably have a celebration planned with your family and friends. Goodbye and good luck in New York, I know that you're going to take the Big Apple by storm," Shelby said as she turned to leave.

"Wait would you like to join us?" Rachel asked. "We're having a cookout at my house this afternoon. I'd love it if you and Beth would come. Beth can play in the pool."

"Are you sure that your dads won't mind?" Shelby asked.

"I'm sure. The party starts at one in the backyard by the pool. I just want you to know that Puck and Quinn are invited, but I don't know if they'll come."

"I want Beth to know her birth parents, but thanks for the heads-up." Shelby thought about it for a second before she accepted the invitation. "Beth and I'd love to come. We may be a little late because I need to pick up a bathing suit and a sun hat for her first. She does loves the water."

"Great, we look forward to seeing you there," Rachel said as she and Finn waved goodbye to Beth and Shelby.

"Before we go," Finn said to Rachel. "I want to say good-bye to Mr. Schue and thank him."

"You've already thanked him, and he'll be at the party this afternoon," Rachel reminded him.

"I haven't thanked him for black-mailing me into joining the Glee Club. If that had never happened, I wouldn't have you in my life today," Finn said as he took off in Mr. Schue's direction.

"Mr. Schue, Mr. Schue, wait up!" Finn called to his teacher.

"Finn you're not my student any more. You can call me Will."

"Mr. Schue, I mean Will," Finn stuttered. "I just want to let you know how much you changed my life when you planted that marijuana in my locker."

"Who said that I planted it? I could get fired for that," Will whispered to his former student.

"Oh I get it," Finn whispered back. "You changed my life when you blackmailed me into jointing the Glee Club."

"Shhh, keep your voice down, I could get fired for that too!"

"Mr. Schue, you will always be Mr. Schue to me, and I mean that out of respect. Being in the Glee Club has been the best part of high school for me. Better than being the quarterback of the football team. Without you and the Glee Club, I'd just be another stuck up jock. Without Glee Club, I wouldn't have so many real friends. I wouldn't have Rachel. You and Burt have been like the dad I never had, and I want to thank you."

"Finn it has been my pleasure to be your teacher and mentor. But I do have one last favor to ask of you."

"Anything, Mr. Schue. Just name it."

"I'm proud of you and Puck for joining the Army together, but please take care of each other and bring each other back alive and whole. That's all I ask," Mr. Schue said solemnly.

"We will, and we'll get back safe and sound. Puck and I'll only be in the Army for three years, and then I would like to ask Rachel to marry me if she'll have me. You have to sing at our wedding," Finn whispered so Rachel wouldn't hear him.

"It would be my honor. Now get going before Rachel hears you. I'll see you at her house this afternoon. Miss Pillsbury and I are bringing the hot dog fixings."

Rachel, Finn, her dads, Burt, Carole, Kurt, and Blaine hurried back to the Berry house to get ready for the afternoon cook-out. Everything was set. Hiram had rolled his prize stainless steel grill out of the garage and Leroy had set up the volleyball net in the grass. The pool was floating in pool toys and lined with pool chairs.

In the shade of the cabana, Finn set up the patio chairs and hung the hammock up. "This is where I'm spending the party," Finn announced to Rachel as he claimed the hammock. "Just me and you swing back and forth all afternoon."

"You aren't getting in the pool?" Rachel asked surprised.

"Yeah, probably, but I want to spend some hammock time with you first."

"I think that we can manage that," Rachel giggled.

Party guests started pouring in the Berry's backyard before one. Puck came, but Quinn sent her regrets. Russell Fabray was in town for the day and Judy wanted Quinn to at least see him since he came for her graduation.

Shelby arrived around one thirty with Beth is the cutest sun-suit and hat that she had picked up at the mall on her way over. Leroy and Hiram met them at the door and welcomed her inside.

"Rachel said that you were coming. We're glad that you could make it. Who is this little princess that you have with you?" Leroy asked.

"This is my daughter Beth," Shelby smiled. "She's two and she loves the water. Thank you for having us."

The afternoon wore on after a big picnic of hamburgers, hotdogs, and several pasta salads and desserts. Puck had discovered that Beth was there and had spent most of the afternoon playing with her.

Santana and Brittany were making fools of the boys at volleyball. Sam had begged Finn to join the boy's team. Between his and Mike's height, they should easily dominate the girls.

"Why don't you join them?" Rachel asked from her place in Finn's arms in the hammock.

"Because I don't want to. I'm happy right here with you," Finn smiled as he gave Rachel a quick kiss on the top of here head.

"I'm glad," Rachel giggled as she snuggled even closer to Finn.

"Rachel please give me some room. You've almost rooted me off my side of the hammock," Finn protested.

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make a memory of how you feel next to me. How you smell so good. How your heart beats in time with mine," Rachel smiled looking up into his brown eyes. "I want to remember this afternoon when I'm in New York this fall and you're becoming a soldier at Fort Jackson."

"Me too, but I'll always remember everything about you. We're going to be apart, but it won't be forever," Finn whispered into her ear.

Finn was leaning to kiss her when Kurt hit the two of them with a blast from a Super Soaker drenching both of them.

"Little Brother, you're going to pay for that!" Finn yelled as he jumped from the hammock.

"You keep forgetting that I'm older that you!" Kurt yelled back as Finn pushed him into the deep end of the pool.

Finn jumped in behind him and motioned for Rachel to join him in the water.

The summer continued like that. Finn and Rachel spent as much time together as they could. Some days were spent with their friends and family when Finn wasn't working for Burt. But the best days were the ones when it was just the two of them. Finn didn't tell Rachel but he had a calendar in his room that he was marking the days off on. August 3rd was the day that Rachel and Kurt would be leaving for New York. He had to be in Columbia, South Carolina on August 5th.

The Fourth of July was New Directions' last performance together. The governor of Ohio had invited New Directions to perform at the celebration at the state capital in Columbus. Being National Champions did have its perks!

Mr. Schue gathered them all the week before to work on a few patriotic songs along with some of their favorites. Their performance was at nine in the evening followed by the fireworks. Their bus had left Lima earlier in the day and had arrived at Columbus before noon. Mr. Schue had given them the afternoon off to enjoy themselves before their performance.

Finn and Rachel had taken off sight seeing with the rest of the group, but eventually everyone paired off and went in different directions to see different things.

Rachel had made the mistake of wearing her performance shoes and soon her feet were killing her as they walked along the busy sidewalk.

"Finn would you like to go to the park and just hang out until tonight. I don't think I can make another step in these shoes."

"Would you like for me to carry you?" Finn asked looking at her blistered feet.

"No, that would be embarrassing for you. What my feet need is a hot soak and some Band-Aids," Rachel sighed looking at her swollen feet.

"There's a hotel across the street. Would you like to get a room?" Finn asked. "You could take a bath and soak your feet and then we could take a nap before we have to perform tonight. We have almost eight hours."

"A soak and a nap would be great," Rachel smiled up at Finn. "I have some money. I'll pay half."

Inside their hotel room, Finn was running a deep bubble bath for Rachel with his shirt sleeves rolled up. He was testing the water when Rachel appeared behind him in a towel and her hair piled on top of her head. He took her hand as she stepped into the hot water and handed the towel to him. The jetted tub felt good to her aching feet.

The bubbles came up to her chin as she sat down in the churning water. Though they had been together many times, Finn was still in awe of her naked beauty. Kneeling by the tub Finn picked up one of her feet and then the other massaging them slowly in the bubbly foam.

Moving toward Rachel's face, Finn was soon kissing her deeply as he reached under the soapy foam to stroke one breast and then the other.

"Join me," was all Rachel said as she scooted up in the tub to make room for Finn behind her.

Finn carefully removed his performance clothes and joined Rachel in the tub. He was rubbing her back in slow circles as Rachel leaned back into his chest enjoying the back rub, the jetted tub, and Finn all at the same time.

Turning she was soon straddling his legs in the growing mountain of soap suds. "Have you noticed that these bubbles are multiplying? Soon this tub is going to be overflowing. Should be get out or cut the jets off?" Rachel asked.

"Let's get out of the tub, I have a better idea," Finn smiled his lop-sided smile.

Rachel stood and stepped out of the tub. Finn joined her on the bath mat and slowly dried her as she did the same for him. Sweeping her off of her feet, Finn picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bed.

The kisses were becoming hot and urgent as Finn hovered above her. "Do you have a condom?" Rachel whispered between kisses.

"I have two in my wallet," Finn whispered as he trailed kisses between her breasts toward her belly-button.

When Finn heard her say, "I need you," he was off the bed like a shot and returned with the two wrapped condoms.

The love making was hot and passionate and they were soon exhausted and panting for breath.

"I could use a nap now," Rachel said between pants. "Set your cell phone alarm so we don't over sleep."

"You're forgetting that I have one more condom. I'll set my phone with two hours to spare."

"What are we going to tell the others when they asked how we spent our day in Columbus?" Rachel asked.

"Don't you know? What happens in Columbus stays in Columbus. Just curl up next to me and don't worry about a thing."

The two lovers were sleeping soundly when Finn's alarm went off at seven that evening.

"I didn't realize that we slept that long," Rachel yawned rubbing her eyes. "It is already getting dark outside."

"I think we wore each other out earlier this afternoon. But I'm ready to go if you are. Maybe we can find something to eat before we have to meet the others."

"What about the second condom," Rachel asked with a sly smile. "We wouldn't want it to go to waste now would we?"

Finn grinned reaching for the second condom on the night stand.

"This time I want to be on top," Rachel smiled as she took the condom from Finn's hand.

"What ever you want," Finn said as Rachel straddled him and sat down on him quickly. She was soon riding him like a mechanical bull.

"I'm almost there!" Rachel gasped as Finn felt her inner walls tighten around him. Reaching her peak, Finn flipped them over and now he was in control.

"Harder, faster!" Rachel begged as she wrapped her legs around him.

As Rachel reached a second climax they came together. Finn withdrew and collapsed on the bed covered in a sheen of sweat.

"That was mind blowing, but I think I'm going to need a shower," Finn said between halted breaths.

Stumbling into the bathroom in the dark, Finn started to remove the condom, but something was wrong. Flipping on the lights, he pulled off the shredded condom.

"Rachel, get your clothes on, we've got to find a pharmacy," Finn said jerking his pants on.

"Why, did you cut yourself or something?" Rachel asked.

"The condom broke! I may have just gotten you pregnant! We've got to find a pharmacy and a morning after pill right away."

"I just had my period, but start looking for pharmacies and urgent care places on your phone while I get dressed," Rachel cried in panic.

Finn was already calling but all of the pharmacies and urgent care places had closed for the Fourth of July.

"They're all closed for the Fourth! I knew I should have bought a better brand."

"Find the nearest emergency room!" Rachel cried jamming her feet back into the painful shoes.

"There's one near here. I think we can make it if you can walk. I'll carry you if you want me to."

"I can walk, just get our things and let's get out of here," Rachel cried.

At the ER Rachel explained her situation to the admitting nurse who gave Finn an evil glare. They took their seats in the waiting room and waited to be called. Finn held her hand and nervously tapped his leg while Rachel sat in stunned silence.

After an eternity, Rachel and Finn were called back to one of the many cubicles where they explained their situation again.

The aging woman doctor looked over her glasses at Finn before she explained how the morning after pill worked to Rachel. The doctor left and after another long wait a nurse returned with the forms, the needed medicine, and a cup of water.

Finn checked them out with his credit card and asked Rachel if she still wanted to go to their performance. They were already late.

"Yes, I want to go. Mr. Schue probably already has the police looking for us now."

"What about your feet?" Finn asked.

"I'm too worried about other things to think about my feet. Let's get out of here."

When Finn and Rachel joined the others on stage they had already completed _The Star-Spangled Banner_ and _America the Beautiful._

"Where have you been man?" Puck whispered to Finn. "I'm not going to tell you what you smell like."

Finn didn't even answer Puck as he stared at Rachel with worry as they did the turn in _Somebody to Love_.

The two didn't stay for the fireworks but went and found their seat on the bus that had brought them.

Using the light of their cell phones, the two read the pamphlets that the doctor had given them about the morning after pill while they waited on the bus.

"Finn," Rachel finally said softly. "Would having a baby be so bad? I mean, you're going off to war and I have every faith that you will return to me alive and well. But what if you don't? With your child, at least I would always have a little part of you."

"Rachel, don't talk like that. I'm coming back, and then we can get married and have a boat load of kids. My mom had to raise me alone, and it wasn't easy for either one of us."

"So what are you saying?" Rachel asked.

"I'm saying that if you had become pregnant tonight, I would've stood by you no matter what. But you have New York and Broadway waiting for you. I can't take that away from you. We have time for tons of babies, but not right now. Okay?" Finn whispered to her as they held hands on the bus.

"Okay," Rachel said softly, but Finn noticed one lone tear escape her eye. He held her closely as they waited for the others to return to the bus and the trip back to Lima.

-/- Until the next chapter, thank you for continuing to follow my story. In the next chapter Finn leaves for boot camp and Rachel leaves for New York.

Reviews are inspiration! Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

Not Goodbye – Chapter 10

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Twenty five days, actually less than twenty five days. That was all the time that Rachel and Finn had before she and Kurt left for New York in August. Finn was sprawled out on his bed marking off another day on his calendar with a felt tip marker before he called Rachel to wish her good night.

Finn had received his instructions from the Army about reporting for Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson near Columbia, South Carolina. He and Puck would be getting on a plane day after Rachel and Kurt left. Time was ticking by too fast.

The week after the Fourth of July celebrations in Columbus, Ohio had been awkward for both Finn and Rachel. The broken condom and the rush to find a morning after pill had shaken both of them.

As instructed by the ER doctor, Rachel made an appointment with her OB-GYN the following Monday and told her about what had happened the week before in Columbus.

After a check up, her OB-GYN told her that she wasn't pregnant and what she should expect after taking the morning after pill. Rachel had already researched the information thoroughly on the internet. He doctor suggest that Rachel begin a prescribed form of birth control since she and Finn were sexually active and as they had found out, condoms weren't fool proof. Rachel declined. She and Finn would both be leaving Lima for different destinations soon and they would be extra careful in the mean time.

As Rachel drove herself home from her doctor's office, she felt a small pang of sadness. What if she had been pregnant? A new life, a little piece of both herself and Finn. What would a child of theirs look like? She pictured a baby in her mind with dark brown eyes and hair, dimples and a one sided smile.

Then she jolted herself out of her fantasy. Now was not the time to have a baby. She couldn't see herself going to school in New York and giving a baby the proper care that it would need at the same time. Finn was going to be away for the next three year, and she didn't want to raise a child without him by her side. Babies were great, but babies would have to wait. At least for now.

On her way home from the doctor's office she stopped by Burt's tire store and found Finn in the back up to his elbows in grease.

"Hey Babe? What brings you here? I'd give you a hug, but I'd get you all greasy," Finn smiled as he saw Rachel making her way back to where he was working.

"I just came by to tell you that I saw my OB-GYN an hour ago, and I'm not pregnant," Rachel whispered so no one else would over her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going? I would've gone with you."

"I needed to get things checked out like the ER doctor in Columbus said. I didn't want you to have to explain things to Burt to get the time off. Everything is fine. She suggested that I get on some from of prescribed birth control, but I declined since we'll both be leaving Lima soon," Rachel assured Finn.

"Just because we're leaving, it doesn't mean that we won't be seeing each other for three years. I'll be getting leave time."

"I know, I'll reconsider it after I get over the morning after pill and this awful nausea. When my cycle returns to normal I'll see a doctor in New York then."

"Rach, I'm sorry that me and a broken condom put you through this last week. I want you to do what you feel is right for you."

"I'm going to do what is right for both of us, and right now I don't want to waste another minute of the time that we have left together. What time do you get off from work today?" Rachel asked.

"Burt said that I could leave at four today, but it's going to take me at least an hour to get all of this grease off of me. Can I come over around six?"

"Sure, I'll fix dinner if it isn't too late for you to eat. Dad and Daddy will both be home tonight."

"You know me. I'm always ready to eat," Finn smiled as he blew Rachel an air kiss with his greasy hand.

Later after dinner Finn and Rachel went out by the Berry pool and pulled two comfortable lawn chairs together.

"Let's see if we can find the Finn Hudson star?" According to our map it's to the upper left of the Big Dipper. There it is! Do you see it Rachel?"

"Yes I think I do! That star is looking down on us right now. But Finn I've been thinking. When I'm looking at that star in New York, it'll be night time here and day time in Afghanistan."

"I've though about that too, Just remember that when you look at our star in New York, I looked at it earlier when it was night time in Afghanistan. It's bringing an 'I love you' message to you from me. New York is nine and a half hours behind Afghanistan. But who says that I'll end up in Afghanistan? The Army could send me anywhere."

"That's what I'm counting on," Rachel said softly to herself.

"Burt's going to give me Wednesday afternoon off. Would you like to do something special?" Finn asked.

"How about a picnic, and then I'd like to drive up to Middle Point. They have a drive-in theater there. I've never been to one."

"Do you know which movie they're showing? Maybe Kurt and Blaine would like to go with us," Finn asked

"Finn, you don't watch the movie at drive-in theaters. You go to make out."

"If that's what you want to do then it's fine with me. Maybe they'll be showing a great horror movie. I just refuse to sit through another chick-flick. I fell asleep ten minutes into the last one. You get the picnic together and I'll check on the movie and gas up my truck. I'll pick you up around one."

Wednesday morning Finn was at Burt's bright and early. Burt had scheduled Finn to finish a brake job and rotate tires that morning. By noon Finn was out the door and on his way home for a shower. He clicked on the movie listings on his computer and a movie called "The Bow" was showing at the drive-in.

"Good," Finn said to himself, "Maybe this is a Robin Hood kind of movie with lots of sword fights."

Finn was at Rachel's promptly at one even though his hair was still wet. It had taken longer than he expected to get the grease out from under his fingernails. Burt had given him mechanic's gloves, but Finn didn't like wearing them so that meant a prolonged scrubbing to get the grease off.

"Hey Babe," Finn said when Rachel opened the door. "Are you ready for our picnic? I checked out the movie on my computer and I think it's a Robin Hood movie with lots of sword fights and stuff."

"Oh wonderful. Mid-evil carnage, but like I said, you don't watch the movie at drive-ins, you make-out," Rachel giggled. "We're going to have a 50's date!"

"You know, we could have out picnic here," Finn said noticing that neither Hiram nor Leroy were at home.

"We could, but I want to get out and enjoy this beautiful day with you. I have a scrumptious picnic packed with some of your favorites and some of my favorites ready to go."

Finn knew that it was useless to argue the point so he helped Rachel into his gassed up truck and they proceeded to the park for their picnic. He was speechless when Rachel handed him three pieces of fried chicken with potato wedges. She opened up a container for herself with two different kinds of pasta salad in it.

"Rach, you didn't have to fix something special for me, I know that you're a vegan."

"I know, but I wanted you to enjoy our picnic, and your mom told me that your favorite picnic food is fried chicken. I couldn't bring myself to cook the poor defenseless creature myself so I picked this up for you at a fast food place this morning."

Finn looked down at his chicken drumstick and felt guilty. He had never though of a chicken being a poor defenseless creature before.

"Rachel, if my eating fried chicken is going to offend you, I can have some of your pasta salad instead."

"No you go right ahead and enjoy your chicken. The poor helpless thing is dead now, and I wouldn't want it to have died in vain."

Finn ate his chicken, but he would never look at a chicken dinner the same way again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon stretched out on a blanket watching the clouds go by. Finn had his head in Rachel's lap as they took turns feeding each other strawberries and just enjoying each other's company.

Walking down to the duck pond, a young couple and their kids were feeding the ducks. Finn bought some duck food and had to laugh as Rachel tried feeding the ducks too. One duck wanted to chase Rachel so she ran behind Finn for defense.

"It's getting late and it's a 45 minute drive to Middle Point. We should get going if we want to get a good place to park at the drive-in." Finn suggested as the afternoon was turning into evening. "I want to get a good spot for all of the sword fights and stuff."

Rachel gathered up the last of their picnic stuff and fed Finn one remaining strawberry before they headed up to Middle Point.

Finn was surprised when there was a line of cars waiting to get into the drive-in. "There must be a lot of other guys who like sword fights and duels. Maybe this one even has a fire breathing dragon in it."

As the truck inched closer to the entrance of the drive-in, Rachel noticed the name of movie that was playing on the marquee.

"Look Finn, it doesn't say 'The Bow'. It says 'The Vow.' I have wanted to see this picture, but I knew that you wouldn't want to go!" Rachel gushed with happiness that she wouldn't be sitting through Mid-evil blood and guts, and a re-made Robin Hood flick.

"I read the listing on my computer and I swear it said The Bow."

Maybe it's a typo; the B and V are side by side on the computer keyboard," Rachel offered. "It's too late to get out of the line now, and look at all the other guys that are here.

"I wonder if these other guys were expecting to see Robin Hood too." Finn said unamused by the mistake. Well we did drive 45 minutes to get here, what's this movie about?"

"It's about a husband who tries to win back the love of his new bride after she loses her memory of him in an auto accident. I've been trying to get Mercedes and Tina to go with me to see it, but we couldn't work out a time when we could all go together. This is perfect. I get to see a movie that I have been dying to see, and I get to see it with the man I love!"

"Oh brother, I thought you said that we were going to make out since it's a drive-in, Finn said pathetically.

"We can make out later; I don't want to miss a moment of this amazing movie."

Finn bought their tickets and drove the truck to one of the old fashioned speaker stands. He left Rachel to figure out the controls to the speaker while he headed to the concession stand. There he saw several other disgruntle guys buying popcorn too.

"We're you expecting Robin Hood and sword fights?" Finn asked another guy about his age.

"Yeah, my computer said The Bow. My girlfriend wouldn't let me turn around when we got here so I'm stuck for the next hour and forty five minutes."

"Me too," Finn commiserated as he added extra butter to his popcorn.

Back in the truck, Finn was asleep as soon as his popcorn was gone. Rachel was glued to the motion picture screen crying with every word the actors said.

As the credits rolled, Rachel woke Finn up and told him that it was time to head home.

"Did you have a good nap? I couldn't hear all of the dialogue for your snoring," Rachel asked Finn as he blinked himself awake.

"Yeah, I was dreaming about you and me making out while Robin Hood killed a few dragons," Finn yawned.

"Well you missed a very good movie. Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum were outstanding in their rolls."

"If you say so Rachel. You know that I'm not much for chick flicks, but I really did enjoy our picnic today.

"I enjoyed our picnic this afternoon too," was the last thing that Rachel said for awhile. The two rode back to Lima without a lot to say until Rachel broke the silence.

"Finn, if we were married and I was in an accident and didn't know that you were my husband, would you try and make me fall in love with you all over again?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I would try. What do you think I'd do? Skip the country?" Finn said in his own defense.

"You don't have to get all defensive. If you were to come back from the Army without a memory I would do everything to make you fall in love with me again," Rachel retorted.

"Falling in love with you the first time was the easiest thing I've ever done. Falling for you a second time would be even easier. What's not to love about you?"

"Plenty but thank you so saying so," Rachel smiled as she kissed the back of Finn's hand.

-/-

Their final days in Lima raced by. Each night before Finn called Rachel he would put another X on another day on his calendar.

One afternoon when Finn came home from work he tripped over a box by the front door. It was one of many boxes marked, "Kurt NYC."

"Is your roommate going to have any room for his stuff?" Finn yelled at Kurt after he picked himself off of the living room floor.

"He'll just have to make do; I'm not going anywhere without my facial and hair care products. The air quality is ten times worse in New York City than it is in Ohio, and it will reek havoc on my skin and hair if I don't protect them." Kurt snorted.

At Rachel's house her living room was filling up with similar boxes marked "Rachel NYC." Finn didn't have to pack a lot since the Army would be providing him with his clothes and things when he arrived at Fort Jackson.

Rachel and Kurt had both decided to live in the dorms at least until they could find an apartment that they could afford that wasn't a five block walking distance from campus.

Rachel's assigned room mate was a girl from East Berlin, Germany who was in the US to study English and wanted to be a classical pianist.

Kurt would be rooming with a guy from California who sounded like Kurt's polar opposite. He said his name was Stephen but everyone called him Snake. From his Facebook pictures Kurt could see that he had multiple facial piercing and tattoos on his neck, chest, and arms, and was into heavy mascara.

Leroy, Hiram, and Burt had rented a large trailer and were taking Rachel and Kurt to New York in Kurt's Navigator. There would be no need to have a car on campus so the three men would be driving the Navigator back to Ohio after Rachel and Kurt were settled into their dorms.

Carole wasn't making the trip. She was taking Finn to the airport on Sunday to see her son off.

Finn planned on quitting Burt's tire store a week before he had to leave. He wanted to spend the most time that he could with Rachel. He already knew that when he went through reception at boot camp he would have to give his cell phone to his drill instructor, and he couldn't call unless his DI thought that the privilege had been earned. That wouldn't happen during the first three weeks. After that he would only have a few minutes to call on Sunday afternoons. Carole and Rachel made sure that he had plenty of writing paper and self addressed, stamped envelopes.

"I don't understand why you can't use your cell phone at boot camp. It looks like that would be a moral booster," Rachel asked one afternoon while they were hanging out at her house."

"The material that they sent me says that boot camp is for building a focused, self disciplined solider and that there would be no time for outside distractions. Rachel, I've been told that boot camp is for tearing you down, so they can build a solider back up. I know that it's going to be rough, but being away from you is going to be the hardest part. What I learn in Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training will probably be the things that keep me alive. Once I get through BCT and AIT, I can have my phone all the time."

"Please don't talk like that Finn. You're coming back to me alive and well and we'll be ready to start our future together."

"I'm going to do my best. Knowing that you're waiting for me is what's going to keep me going. I love you Rachel Berry, you know that don't you?"

"And I love you too, with all my heart!"

Their last few days flew quickly by, soon it was August. Rachel, Kurt, and the three dads would be leaving early the next morning for New York City. Finn and Puck would be getting on a plane for South Carolina the following day.

The Berry's had planned a going away party for the three of them. The rented trailer was packed and parked in the drive-way ready to leave. Finn had packed a change of clothes and a tooth brush along with the necessary paper work in his McKinley duffel bag.

Hiram and Leroy had tried to make the going-away party a happy event, but there was still a sense of dread that hung over the party. Like many times before Rachel and Finn spent their few remaining hours in the hammock holding on to one another oblivious to the party going on by the pool.

"What time are you leaving in the morning?" Finn asked Rachel as they slowly swung back and forth.

"Dad and Daddy want to be on the road before six AM. Everything is packed and ready to go."

"I'll be here at five to tell you goodbye," Finn whispered into her soft dark hair almost on the brink of tears.

"You don't have to get up so early."

"And miss my last chance to see you again for months? Kurt and Burt will be up anyway. I may be over here before they are. Rach, I know that we've talked about this for months, but I can't believe that this day is almost here. I honestly don't know how I'm going to tell you goodbye."

"Well then don't tell me goodbye. Tell me that you will see me soon. That's what I'm going to tell you," Rachel tried to smile as she wiped a tear from Finn's cheek. "I'll call you as soon as we get to New York, but you have to promise to call me when you land in South Carolina. Deal?"

"Deal," Finn whispered before he enveloped her in his arms and held her tightly.

-/-

Until the next chapter, please keep reviewing! Thank you so much, Whistler Nights


	11. Chapter 11

**Letters – Chapter 11**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Finn has just finished his first week of Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, SC. Finally having a few minutes without someone yelling at him or telling him what to do, he sat down to write a letter to Rachel in New York City.

-/-

_August 12, 2012_

_Hey Rach,_

_I'm sorry that I'm late getting started on my first letter to you. It's finally Sunday, and we get a little free time today. My first week at Fort Jackson has been so busy that when I'm not jumping through hoops, I'm sleeping. You know that I'm not very good with words, and I'm worse when I have to write them down, but here goes._

_South Carolina looks a lot like the pictures. It's flat like Ohio, but there's lots of pine trees and red clay dirt here. We didn't get to see much of Columbia, but there were a lot of soldiers at the airport._

_Puck and I spent the first three days in reception here at basic training. They have divided us up into 50 man platoons for now, but Puck and I are still together._

_We have been learning how to march and salute, plus all the do's and don'ts .There's a lot of them! I gotta admit that I'm better at marching than dancing. My long legs give me an advantage on the two mile runs, but they get in the way on the obstacle courses. Puck is better at crawling under stuff than I am so we're trying to help each other._

_Before we landed, Puck was bragging on the plane about how no drill instructor was going to talk down to him. After a ten minute tongue lashing from three drill instructors at once, he's given up the attitude. All it took was one comment about their Smokey the Bear hats to get him into trouble._

_I don't know how to describe our DI. (DI is short for drill instructor.) You don't call them drill sergeants any more. He is about six inches shorter than me and makes Beiste look like a pussy-cat. I really think that the man has a hearing problem. He keeps screaming, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" at the top of his lungs right in my ear. If he keeps it up I'm going to have a hearing problem! He also likes to say "DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY," a lot. That means he wants twenty push-ups now!_

_You're not going to believe this, but my DI's name is Sergeant Slaughter! I'm betting Puck that he didn't come with that name but he changed it when he became a drill instructor._

_The guy really is a badass. When he speaks to you, he's right in your face and spits all over you. I'm about six inches taller than he is so he mostly sprays my shirt. Puck gets a face washing every time Sergeant Slaughter yells at him. You can guess the nickname that he's given Puck. It's _uck Up! Right now he's calling me, "Too Tall" which is a lot better than _uck Up!_

_I'd really like to meet this guy's grandmother some day. According to the sergeant, she can do everything better than any one of us. She must be one hell of a woman. I just hope that she doesn't look like him. He's one ugly dude._

_I had my haircut, and I'm glad that you can't see me right now. I feel like a great big walking Q-Tip. It wasn't that big a deal for Puck since most of his hair was gone before we even got here._

_Puck and I both needed glasses. They look like the kind I had to wear when I played Brad in Rocky Horror. The glasses and my blue head are sad._

_We've been issued our uniforms, dog tags, and boots. My pant legs are three inches too short, and I look like I've got on high waters. They've ordered some longer pants for me, but for now I'm stuck in these._

_The physical exam was worse than any football physical that I've ever had in Ohio. I lost count of how many times they stuck me with a needle. I've had shots for everything from Monkey-Pocks to Malaria. Both of my butt cheeks and both arms are still sore. _

_Puck and I passed our physical fitness test on the first try, but there're guys here who are struggling. Some of them have already been assigned to extra PT (Physical Training) that the DI's call the Fat Farm. If they don't pass in eight tries, they wash out. All of that cross country running with Mike paid off._

_Our DI took our cell phone like we expected. We'll get to use them in a few weeks if everybody in our platoon has earned it. That means that we've all got to work together._

_Rach, I just wanted you to know how much I love you and your picture is what is keeping me going. I know that you're busy, but write when you can._

_All my love, Finn_

_-/-_

Seven hundred miles away in New York City, Rachel was waiting for a washing machine in her dorm's laundry room. The line was long so she brought her music theory homework and some writing paper with her.

_August 12, 2012_

_My Dearest Finn,_

_I was glad to hear that you made it to South Carolina and Fort Jackson safely. Thank you for calling me from the Columbia airport before you had your phone confiscated at the base._

_I miss you so much, but I keep telling myself that this isn't forever. Until we can be together again, I'm going to pour myself into my work._

_My room mate Heidi isn't what I expected. Her English is understandable, and she's trying to teach me a few German phrases. I still haven't told her that I'm Jewish. I want her to get to know me before I do. She's a lot like me, driven and hard working. I don't see a lot of her. We're both at class all day, and she has piano practice late at the night. She has to practice when she can get a piano practice room which is about as easy as getting a turn in the laundry room here. Being an only child, all of this sharing and co-habituating is new to me. At least I'm not sharing a barracks with fifty other guys like you and Puck. _

_My classes are going well so far, but I've found that there are a lot of students here who are better than me. I'm taking six introductory courses and Kurt is in four of them. Kurt hasn't said a lot about his room mate, but I did meet him. Stephen, I mean Snake, is so different from Kurt. Kurt and I are definitely not in Ohio anymore._

_Your mom has called me for a few minutes almost every __night to see how I'm doing or if I've heard from you. She's_ _worried about you, and not being able to call you is the worst part. She says being an Army mom isn't a lot different from being an Army wife. You learn to keep yourself busy and wait for the mail or the phone to ring. Make sure that you write to her too._

_I'm glad that Carole and Burt have each other. They're going through empty nest syndrome times two. Burt and Kurt talk every night as do me and my dads. Kurt told me that Burt and Carole invited my dads over for your usual Family Friday Night Dinner. I'm glad that our parents are getting to know each other. _

_Finn, I know that you're looking forward to mail call so I'll try and write to you every day. Please stay safe and call or write when you can . We all miss you so much, but we're just as proud of you too. Keep your head down!_

_Yours forever, Rachel_

-/-

Their first week of being apart was behind them. Now they only had to make it make it another 155 weeks before she graduated and he was discharged. Rachel finished up her laundry and dropped the letter to Finn in the dorm mail box before she called Kurt. It was Sunday evening and they had planned on going out for dinner together all week. Maybe Heidi would like to join them. This had also been Heidi's first week in the US and Rachel was the only person that she knew so far.

Finn finished his letter to Rachel and started another one to his mom. Of all the women in the world, these two meant the most to him. They had given him the most resistance to joining the Army, but in the end they had given him the most support. He was glad that his mom had Burt to lean on and Rachel had Kurt.

-/-

Until chapter 12, thank you for sticking with me and for the reviews. A special thank you to PaochiCute, noro, RockerPrincess83, and FinchelFan728! Your reviews and comments are pure inspiration!


	12. Chapter 12

**Seven Hundred Miles – Chapter 12**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The hot summer days of August moved like slow moving mud some days. The South Carolina heat was getting to a lot of recruits in Finn's platoon, including Finn and Puck. Sergeant Slaughter would yell at them, "If you think this is hot, wait until you get to Afghanistan. It's so hot there you feel like your brains are boiling during the day and so cold at night you feel like your bones are going to break from shivering so hard."

Still Finn and Puck were making it. More guys were not. Puck and Finn had passed their physical assessment test; others were still failing on their second, third and even fourth attempts. The two mile runs with a full pack in the heat were the worst.

"We're separating the men from the boys!" Sergeant Slaughter would yell at the top of his lungs as they jogged along the red clay South Carolina low country. The humidity and the dust felt like you could cut it with a knife most afternoons. The buzzards that taunted them from the tops of pine trees as they jogged past didn't make it any better.

Puck would ask Finn, "Has anyone ever died out here doing this? Are those buzzards waiting for a free meal?"

Finn would only shake his head at Puck as the sweat and red dirt trickled down his face as he jogged.

The sergeant assigned what the Army calls Battle Buddies. Since Puck had been Finn's wide receiver in high school, it seemed only fair that they stay together now.

Their second week at Fort Jackson, their hand to hand combat training began. Finn wanted to spar with Puck, Finn knew Puck's moves. But the sergeant always put Finn with bigger guys. He had had his share of sacks during football, but he had also had the guards to protect him. Here he was on his own, but to his surprise holding his own. Puck was more agile, but Finn was depending on sheer strength and getting the jump on his opponents.

Finn had never held a gun before except for a 22 rifle that his Grandpa had let him shoot once. Finn remembered his Grandpa shooting the deer. He still wasn't sure if he could open fire on another human being who was standing face to face with him.

At this point, all of them were training for combat, but during class time the instructors told them to be thinking about what they wanted to do for their Advanced Individual Training. Puck wanted to go to Sniper School, Finn could be his spotter. But considering that both of them were now wearing Clark Kent glasses they knew that wasn't going to happen.

Given a few minutes free time before lights out one night, Finn sat down to work on another letter to Rachel.

Dear Rachel,

I received my first letter from you, and I can't tell you just how happy it made me. I've read it at least a hundred times. Mom sent some cookies, but your letter meant more to me. Puck hogged the cookies anyway.

I'm glad that you and Kurt are getting settled in New York and that your classes are going okay. I know this roommate business sucks. I have fifty roommates in this barracks and they all snore and use up the hot water! Keep searching for an apartment, something will have to turn up. I'm a little worried about Kurt and his room mate Snake. Keep an eye on him for me, okay?

Puck and I have survived another week here at Fort Jackson. We have almost completed the red or Patriot part. Next week we'll begin phase two which is the white part followed by the blue part which will be the toughest.

We have a new drill instructor in addition to Sergeant Slaughter. This dude is as big as me, and his name is Sergeant Freeman. He's an African- American and is just as hard on us as Sergeant Slaughter. At least Sergeant Freeman doesn't call Puck, -uck Up. He calls Puck Nola! I'm still being called, "Too Tall" by both of them.

Last night Puck and I got our first taste of fire guard or guard duty. There's no fire, but we have to walk around and guard our barracks at night. I had an earlier shift and managed to get a few hours sleep before Reveille.

I wish that I could tell you that last week was great, but it wasn't. On Tuesday we had our turn in the gas chamber right after lunch. All of the grunts who have been here longer than we have told us not to open our eyes or breath the gas and not to eat too much lunch. You know me. I was hungry. I thought that I could wait out my time in the chamber with my gas mask on. I had to take my mask off and tell the Sergeant Freeman my full name, social security number, and the name of our platoon. I almost made it, but I ended up taking a breath. I have never been so sick in all my life. I think that this gas chamber part is some sadistic stunt that the drill sergeants dreamed up to torture us. All of us spend the afternoon heaving our guts out in the latrine while the sergeants took the afternoon off.

This week we started learning hand to hand combat techniques. They keep paring me up with a big guy named Carlos Gonzales and we're pretty evenly matched but he has kicked my butt a few times. It turns out that we both played football in high school except he was a guard and he hated the quarterbacks. We all call him Gonzo!

On Friday I got to hold an M-16 rifle for the first time. It's a lot heavier than I thought it would be. The sergeants say that these rifles (never call them guns) are our new lovers. Don't worry; you will always be my lover. This rife just feels like cold steel to me.

Rach, we still have guys who haven't passed their physical assessment tests. I think two of them just really want to go home. I can hear guys at night crying into their pillows. I know cause I've felt like crying too. This is so hard, but I think I have found something that I might actually be good at. I just miss you so much.

Sergeant Freeman got my test results from the Armed Services Vocational Appitude Battery (ASVAB) and told me that I should think about Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic as my MOS (Military Occupational Specialist) when I go to AIT. I can do my advanced training right here at Fort Jackson. He said the same thing to Puck. I think that was because Puck copied my test.

I'm counting the days until we can use our cell phones. The first person that I'm going to call is you. If all goes well that should be next Sunday afternoon. That means that we have to help the guys that aren't cutting it. Just like in football, it's all of us or none of us.

The second person that I'm going to call is my mom. I know that she's worried. She's been through this waiting before. Thanks for talking to her on the phone. I know that she appreciates it. Mom thinks of you as the daughter she never had. That makes you special, because you are special. Special to all of us!

Did I ever tell you that Mom never liked Quinn from the moment she met her, but she's loved you from day one? Mom calls it Mother's Intuition what ever that means.

Sergeant Freeman just came through the barracks and said that we have five minutes until lights out, so I'll finish this letter. Rachel I love you so much, and I miss you like crazy. I'll call you as soon as we get phone privileges.

Yours only, Finn

-/-

Meanwhile in New York, Kurt and Rachel were discovering that they truly were little fish in a big pond. In Rachel vocal performance class she wasn't the best soloist. For now she was background singer.

Her drama professor had scolder her more than once, and her dance professor had demoted her to a beginning dance class.

Kurt was having a lot of the same problems, but most of his problems were with his roommate. Snake hogged over half of the dorm room and never cleaned up after himself. He also didn't have any problem helping himself to Kurt's things. Kurt had found himself studying in one of the dorm's study rooms or at Rachel's because Snake played his video games at an ear splitting volume.

Rachel and Heidi were slowly becoming acquainted. It seemed that they only saw each other in the morning or sometimes late at night when Heidi had finished her rehearsals in one of the piano practice rooms.

Heidi was a neat-freak like Rachel, but kept mostly to herself. Kurt and Rachel had dinner together every Sunday evening. After Rachel begged relentlessly, Heidi finally did join them for one of their Sunday dinners out.

"Tell us about German?" Kurt asked over his pasta salad.

Through her broken English she told Kurt that she was from East Berlin even though East and West Berlin were now supposedly united, there was still a world of differences between the two. She was an only child and that both her parents worked in factories. Her parents had encouraged her to play because it brought beauty to their otherwise hard lives. Heidi was in the United States to learn to speak English fluently and to hopefully become a concert pianist.

"Do they have many concert pianists in East German?" Rachel asked.

"Not many at all, but if my dreams come true, I wish to play with the New York Philharmonic and maybe become an American citizen someday. I would like to bring my parents to this country too." Heidi smiled shyly at her two dinner companions.

"Then I'll help you to learn to speak English fluently, and Kurt can help you study for the American Citizenship classes. You know, this is the first time that I've really seen you smile," Rachel smiled back at Heidi.

"I'm sorry," Heidi apologized. "This is my first time in the US, and I don't know anyone but you and now Kurt. My parents have sacrificed so much for me to be here, and I miss them back home in Germany. My education is costing so much of their life's savings even though I am here on a scholarship."

"I was also afraid that you would hate me," Heidi paused looking directly at Rachel.

"Why would I hate you? I never met you until a few weeks ago," Rachel asked.

"Because you're Jewish. I saw it on your profile page. I've also seen your copy of The Torah on your desk. I am German and I thought that all Jews hated us," Heidi admitted.

"Heidi, I hate that six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II, but that doesn't mean that I hate you. I don't hate anyone. You have done nothing to hurt me personally. The sins of our fathers are their sins, not ours."

"But not forgotten sins. Many people in East Berlin like to tell themselves that the Holocaust never happened, but we all know that it did. It is the blackest mark on the history of my country. I really expected you to hate me just for being German."

"A lot of terrible things happen when we allow ourselves to be consumed by hate or let others do our thinking for us. All of the wars ever fought have been over hate, or greed, or a difference in beliefs. My boyfriend is in the Army training to be a solider now. He'll probably be sent to the war in Afghanistan. His father was a solider in Desert Storm when Kuwait was overrun by the Iraqis."

"I've seen the picture of your boyfriend on your desk. Why did he join the Army? Why isn't he here at school with you?" Heidi asked.

"Finn didn't have the money for school. He had hoped to get a football scholarship but that didn't happen. When he finishes his three year hitch, the Army will help pay for his education. In the mean time he's doing what he feels he needs to do."

"Do all of the Afghan people hate the Americans?" Heidi asked.

"No, just like not all of the German people hated the Jews. Many Germans lost their lives either hiding, protecting, or getting the Jews out of German and Poland during World War II. Many of the Afghan people have been swept up by the hate of the Taliban, just like many German people were swept up by the hate of the Nazis. This is what happens when you let a few fanatics tell you what to think. Heidi, I don't hate you for being German and neither does Kurt. And if you haven't guessed, Kurt's gay. The Nazis hated the gays as much as they hated the Jews.

"I had the idea that he was gay, and I have no problem with that," Heidi said to Kurt directly. "This is American and you are free to be who you are."

"That's not true," Kurt said solemnly. "Being gay is a battle that I have to fight every day. I just spent six weeks this summer having my jaw wired shut because a few ignorant buffoons didn't like it that my boyfriend and I are a couple. This was the second beating that my boyfriend Blaine has taken and my first. It probably won't be our last."

"I am so sorry that happened to you and your friend. No one deserves that. No one deserves to be treated any less for being who they are." Heidi said taking Kurt's hand.

-/-

Later that night Rachel began another letter to Finn.

My Dearest Finn,

What a day this has been, but I think that my roommate and I may grow to be close friends. I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

I checked on the internet and it's approximately 717 from New York to Fort Jackson, but it feels like a million at times.

I'm counting the days until you graduate. My parents, Kurt, and Blaine want to come to Fort Jackson for your graduation too.

I miss you so much, but Finn. I am really proud of you and Puck for doing what you are doing. After all, freedom isn't free.

All my love for you always, Rachel

-/- Until the next chapter, thank you for following my story! Whistler Nights.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Sound of Your Voice – Chapter 13**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

"Rachel, if you don't come on, we're going to lose our usual Sunday night table at Samurai Sushi. You've waited for Finn to call all day, and he hasn't. Their platoon probably didn't get phone privileges today, but if they did he can still reach you on your cell phone at the restaurant." Kurt yelled at Rachel from her dorm room door.

"You know as well as I do that we can't get a signal on the subway. I'm going to sit here until midnight just in case he calls. You can ask Heidi to go with you, just bring back some spring rolls for me okay," Rachel asked Kurt handing him her money.

"All right, I'll ask Heidi if she would like to go out to eat without you. If Finn does call, tell him that I'm fine and ask him how he likes being a Jarhead."

"Kurt, I've told you before that jarheads are Marines," Rachel laughed at her friend.

Kurt and Rachel were becoming Sunday night regulars at Samurai Sushi and Heidi had gone with them twice. Sushi wasn't a German delicacy, but Heidi was beginning to like it. Mostly she enjoyed Kurt and Rachel's company. East Berlin and her parents were so far away, and Kurt and Rachel had made her feel welcome on their Sunday night dinners out.

Heidi had even commented on their last trip to the sushi bar that who would have ever imagined it, a girl from the Fatherland eating Japanese sushi with a gay guy and a Jewish girl. The three of them should be ambassadors for world peace!

Kurt and Heidi left for their Sunday dinner leaving Rachel willing her phone to ring. She had worked on a class assignment all day and had checked her phone at least a hundred times. It had remained silent all day because she had told everyone not to call her on Sunday just in case Finn called.

Feeling disappointed, Rachel left the phone on the charger and went to look for something to snack on until Kurt brought her spring rolls back. As she was gazing into the back of their mini-fridge, her phone began to ring. It was the new ring-tone that she had assigned to Finn's calls. It was Christina Aguilera's _Candyman._

"Finn, Finn, is that you?" Rachel almost screamed into the phone.

"Yes, Babe, it's me. I would've called you sooner, but when Sergeant Freeman gave my phone back to me it was dead. I had to charge it before I could call you. I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice. I only have fifteen minutes, and I have to call Mom too so let's talk fast."

"Oh Finn, I can't begin to tell you how good it is to hear your voice. I've read your letters a hundred times, but it's so much better to talk to you. I love you, and I miss you so much!"

"Rach, I love you too, and I miss you like crazy. Puck and I are both fine. Before I forget, how's Kurt doing with his roommate Snake?"

"Actually, Kurt's over here at my dorm more than he is at his. From what Kurt says. Snake is quickly on his way to flunking out. Kurt is fine; we just all miss you so much!"

"I miss you too, but I think that I've finally found something that I'm good at. We've finished the red or Patriot phase and we're into the white or Gunfighter phase of basic training."

"What do you mean, Gunfighter? Do you shoot at each other like the cowboys in those western movies that you make me sit through?"

"No nothing like that. We're learning how to fire our M16 rifles, grenade launchers, and anti-tank weapons. I don't mean to brag, but I have one of the highest marksmanship score in my platoon right now," Finn said with pride in his voice.

"We've been working on field stripping all week. You can guess what Puck thought field stripping meant. Puck said that it was bad enough that he had to strip and shower in front of fifty guys, but he wasn't going to do it out in a field," Finn laughed.

"What is field stripping?" Rachel asked totally at a loss.

"We have to take our rifles totally apart, fix them if they're broken, and put them back together in a limited amount of time. We have to do it while we're out in the field as fast as we can. Sarge says that when you're under heavy fire you have the rest of your life to do."

"Enough about the Army. How are your classes going?" Finn asked.

"I'm taking six classes and Kurt is in four of them. They're all introductory level so for now things are good. I was worried about having a stranger for a roommate, but that's working out. Do you still have seven more weeks of basic training?"

"Yes, there's seven more weeks of basic before I start AIT. I'm doing my AIT here at Fort Jackson. Are you still coming to my graduation?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away. I'll miss a few days of classes, but it'll be worth it to see you again Rachel giggled. "Your DI's will have to pry me off of you."

"They'll have to pry me off of you too," Finn said softly. Rach, the hardest part of all of this is not seeing you, but they're keeping me busy. I hope to have a little more hair when I see you again.

"I don't care if you're bald or have a mullet. I just want to hold you in my arms and never let you go,"

"Me too," Finn sighed. "I hate to cut our first call off short, but I need to call Mom too. She has really been worried. I love you so much, I'll write another letter tonight, and hopefully I can call you again next Sunday. I love you Rachel Berry, and don't you forget it!"

"I love you too, Finn Hudson, with all of my heart. Bye."

Rachel had just finished her call with Finn when Heidi and Kurt came back in with her spring rolls.

"Did he call?" Kurt asked seeing Finn holding her phone tightly with a sheen of tears on her face.

"Yes, he called. You just missed him. I told him that you were fine."

"How is he?" Kurt asked.

"He's fine. He was only allowed fifteen minutes of phone time and he had to call Carole too."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I just miss him so damn much that's all," Rachel sobbed into Kurt's shoulder. "He's the best part of my life and he's seven hundred miles away! I can't call him, and I won't see him for another seven weeks!"

"Rachel, you both knew that boot camp would be like this. They're teaching Finn what he needs to stay alive,

and they don't want him to be distracted," Kurt tried to reassure Rachel as he let her cry it out on his shoulder.

"It is hard, I know," Heidi commented. "I miss my parents and the Fatherland, but most of all I miss my boyfriend, Christian."

"You have a boyfriend? You never mentioned having a boyfriend," Rachel sniffed reaching for a tissue to blow her nose. "Is he back in Germany?"

"Yes, Christian is in Berlin. He is in the Army there too, but my parents do not like him. That is why they agreed to let me come here for my education. They hope that I will forget him."

"Why do they not like him?" Kurt asked.

"My family is poor, but his family is poorer. His grandparents believe in the old ways."

"Like it was during World War II?" Kurt asked in surprise.

"No they did not want East German to be reunited with West German. His family still believes in the Soviet Bloc."

"But why" Kurt asked his eyes growing large. "I thought the fall of the Berlin Wall was a great thing."

"Oh it was, but many of my older countrymen do not agree. They think that being part of the Soviet Bloc was better, but I don't. If Germany was still divided, I would not be here. I would not be in the United States. I would have never met the two of you."

"We're glad that you're here. It seems that we have a lot in common. Both of us have boyfriends who are in the Army," Rachel smiled at Heidi.

"Yes, my boyfriend is in the Army, but he will always be in the Army. It is his career," Heidi said before she put his picture back into the drawer.

"No, don't do that," Rachel scolded. "Leave Christian's picture out on your desk. It will help remind you of home and your loved ones. Finn's picture is the last thing that I see at night and the first thing that I see in the morning."

"You and Christian sound like Romeo and Juliet," Kurt smiled looking at Christian's picture.

"I only hope that we have a better ending than Mr. Shakespeare's doomed lovers," Heidi tried to smile.

-/-

The weeks moved on and Finn's training intensified. The physical training while tougher was beginning to become easier. Both Finn and Puck had lost any fat that they had to spare, and it was replaced with hard muscle. They skin grew tanned in the South Carolina sun and their shaved blue heads were now covered with a high and tight military haircut.

Military life was becoming second nature. Except for restricted use of their phones and being restricted to base, things were becoming routine. The drill sergeants had loosened up on the total control that they had enforced during the first weeks. As the recruits earned them, they were given more privileges.

Puck liked anything that had to do with weapons and blowing up things. Puck was also more proficient than Finn on the high ropes courses and any kind of repelling. Finn was better at orienteering. (Compass and map reading) Finn referred to it as a giant Easter egg hunt except with directions.

Finn's orienteering skill did come in handy when they entered the blue or Warrior phase of their training. They were now going on overnight bivouacs (camping) and combat operations in the pine forests and fields that surrounded the base. South Carolina was so flat that there were no visible land marks so the compass and maps were their only guides.

-/-

Finally the day of Finn's graduation arrived. It was a crisp fall day in South Carolina and Rachel hadn't slept in days in anticipation of holding Finn in her arms.

Rachel and Kurt had flown in on a red eye flight from New York and had a short lay-over waiting for Carole and Burt's plane from Ohio. Puck's mother and little sister were on the same plane.

The graduation ceremony was at one and Carole was almost as excited as Rachel. They all found their seats in the grandstands and waited for the ceremony to begin out on the parade grounds of the military base. Minutes seemed like hours as they waited.

One family after another crowded into the grandstands to wait for their solider to appear. Many were young wives with small babies and children. Others were proud parents waiting for their sons and daughters to arrive.

On the far end of the field loud smoke canisters began going off one after another forming a long line of billowing white smoke. Then the opening bars of _ARMY STRONG_ began to play loudly over the loud speakers.

"What's going on?" Carole asked Rachel. "Is the base being shelled or something? Where's Finn?"

The audience grew silent as they watched the smoke continue to grow and reach for the sky. It formed a long curtain that blocked their view of the horizon.

Kurt was the first to shout, "Look!"

Emerging through the smoke a few shadowy figures began to appear caring flags. The looked like ghosts as they emerged from the smoke. Behind them came what had to be drill instructors. They were wearing the famous Smokey the Bear Hats.

Behind the drill instructors was column after column of marching soldiers in precise formation. Each one was proudly wearing their black Army berets and marched in perfect unison with their heads held high.

As the soldiers emerged from the smoke, it looked like there were four platoons forming one company or two hundred men and women.

The crowd erupted into cheers as the tight formations approached the grandstands.

"There's Finn! Rachel screamed as she recognized him. He was the tallest one in his group and Puck was right beside him. Rachel tried frantically to get Finn's attention, but his eyes remained forward. He was trying hard not to look at her or to smile.

As the platoons fell into one long formation, Finn marched within twenty feet of Rachel and his family. He never looked her way, but she saw his trademark half smile as he marched past her.

After what seemed like forever, Finn platoon was finally dismissed. Finn knew where Rachel was sitting and ran straight to her scooping her up in his arms.

Time stood still as he stood there holding the love of his life in his arms. Even though there were hundreds of people searching for their soldier in the crowd, Finn and Rachel held on to one another locked in an all consuming kiss. When the need for air overcame them Finn noticed his family standing there as well. He wrapped one arm around his mother and hugged her, but he never let go of Rachel's hand. He hugged and shook hands with Kurt and Burt, but Rachel's hand remained firmly in his.

"I can't believe that you're here," Finn whispered as he wrapped his arms around Rachel again. "I've waited so long just to hold you again."

The scene was repeated through out the crowd as husbands and wives and parents and children were reunited with one another.

"I'm here, and I'm so proud of you!" Rachel whispered.

Rachel noticed that this was her Finn, but a different Finn. He was more confident and mature. He had a new gleam in his eye.

Carole noticed the difference too. He stood taller, his shoulders broader, his baby fat was gone replaced with hard muscles.

Immediately after graduation, Finn and Puck had to report to their AIT assignments, but their DI's had issued weekend passes to those who would be staying at Fort Jackson for their AIT.

By evening Finn and Puck were signed out and on their way to two whole days with their families.

-/- Until the next chapter, thank you for reviewing! Sincerely, Whistler Nights.


	14. Chapter 14

**Weekend Pass - Chapter 14**

Warning: Mild **Smut** Alert

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Finn's graduation day from basic combat training earlier in the day had happened quickly. Now he was enjoying his first weekend pass and dinner out. He was sitting in a downtown Columbia, South Carolina restaurant with the people he loved most. He and Rachel were sitting on one side of the table practically glued at the hip. Across the table sat Carole and Burt, and Kurt was sitting at the end of the table beside his dad.

"How's your steak?" Carole asked her son.

"Amazing. Compared to the MREs that our platoon was eating on bivouacs two weeks ago, this is like food from Heaven," Finn answered his mom never taking his eyes off of Rachel.

"What are MREs?" Kurt asked.

"Meals Ready to Eat. It's a prepackaged meal that soldiers eat when they're nowhere near a mess hall. They're not that good, but it beats starving," Finn answered his brother.

"Is it worse than the cafeteria food at McKinley?" Rachel asked squeezing Finn's hand a little tighter.

"McKinley food is fine dining compared to MREs," Finn laughed between bites of his steak.

"Are you going to eat the rest of your steak?" Finn asked Burt noticing the half eaten sirloin on his plate.

"No, I'd like to, but your mom won't let me. Help yourself."

No quicker than Burt said the words than Finn had the left- over sirloin on his plate.

"Don't they feed you in the Army?" Carole asked as she watched her son inhale his food.

"Yes, they feed us, but nothing like this. I haven't had a steak since out last cookout in Rachel's backyard last summer. How are Hiram and Leroy doing?" Finn asked Rachel.

"They're fine, they came to New York on business about a month ago and we spent the weekend together."

"Kurt where's Blaine? I sort of expected him to be on the flight from Ohio with Mom and Burt."

"Blaine has transferred back to Dalton for his senior year, and his work load there is a lot heavier. I saw him about three weeks ago. He came for fall break."

"Are you two still going strong?" Finn asked his brother.

"Yes, we're still exclusive, but the distance between us makes it hard. It'll be better next year when he graduates from high school and comes to New York to live with me and Rachel. We hope to have an apartment by then."

"I wish I was coming to New York to live with you and Rachel, but I will in a few years. I'll have money for college in my pocket, and Rachel can start her career on Broadway. With my Army training, I should be able to get a part time job as a mechanic. I'll get my ASE certification and learn all about diesel engines in the next thirteen weeks of AIT training."

"Is everything in the Army an acronym?" Kurt asked with a smirk.

"Pretty much, all of that texting has come in handy, but I still don't know what my sergeants are saying half the time."

"Don't mention the next thirteen weeks. These last ten weeks have been too long," Rachel sighed sadly.

"It won't be that long and your winter break coincides with the Army's Christmas Exodus. We'll have almost two whole weeks to spend together," Finn smiled trying to reassure Rachel.

"After AIT comes deployment. Have they given you any idea where they might be sending you?" Burt asked.

"The word on the street is Afghanistan. They need boots on the ground over there," Finn answered his step-father.

"Afghanistan! I was hoping that they would send you to Germany or something. Heidi says that the Army still has over 20 posts in Germany."

"Rachel, as of today, I'm a private. A grunt. They'll send me where they want to. I don't have any say in it. I'd like to pull all three years in Hawaii like Burt did, but he did his hitch during peace time. It's different now. I promise you, I'll be okay. Puck and I are going to look after each other. I'm going to be a mechanic so I won't be on the front lines. We've got the next 48 hours together. What do you want to do tomorrow?" Finn asked trying to change the subject.

"If you don't have any plans, I thought that you and Rachel might want to spend the day together," Burt interrupted

"That's a great idea! What are you, Kurt, and Mom going to do tomorrow?" Finn asked.

"That's the good part. A vendor buddy of mine pulled off the impossible. The University of South Carolina has a home football game tomorrow against Clemson. When I told him that we were coming to Columbia he arranged for us to use his company's season tickets. I thought that your Mom, Kurt, and I could take in a game and let you two have some time for yourselves," Burt smiled.

"But Burt, Finn might like to go to a football game, and Kurt hates football." Carole protested. "I can take Rachel and Kurt shopping while you and Finn go to the game."

Finn gave Kurt a pleading look and Kurt immediately read his mind.

"Oh Contraire," I think that it would be a great opportunity for the three of us to spend the afternoon at a football game together. Rachel and Finn can use the rental car, and we can take the hotel shuttle to the game," Kurt offered trying to save Finn and Rachel's alone time.

"I agree with Kurt!" Finn added quickly. "I've seen enough football from inside the game, and I'd like to show Rachel around. I think the three of you would have a great time at the game and Burt and Kurt could have some time together too. The guys at the base say that the USC/Clemson game is the biggest instate rivalry. Sort of like Michigan and Michigan State."

"But son," Carole protested again.

"Ah Carole, let the two love birds have some time together. They have been apart for two and a half months and it'll be Christmas before they see each other again. Our plane doesn't leave until late Sunday evening and you can spend Sunday with Finn. Rachel needs to see him too," Burt said to his wife.

Carole finally agreed with her husband and the five of them retired to their two hotel rooms for the evening. Burt, Carole and Rachel were in one room and Finn and Kurt in another, but no one really got any sleep. The five stayed up together until the wee hours of the morning just talking. Kurt told Burt all about school and his roommate Snake while Carole and Rachel monopolized Finn.

Early the next morning Kurt was getting everyone up early for breakfast. He had roused Finn and ran next door to wake their parents and Rachel by banging on their door. Rachel slipped out of her bed and ran past Kurt to the boy's room to jump on Finn who had the cover pulled over his head.

"Wake up, wake up, this is our day together and I don't want to waste a minute of it," Rachel giggled as she peppered Finn's face with kisses.

"Rach, I've been getting up at five am every morning for PT and this bed is actually big enough for me," Finn groaned trying to pull Rachel under the covers with him.

"That's enough of that," Kurt protested. "You two have the whole day to catch up, but right now our parents are expecting us to join them for breakfast downstairs."

"Okay Rach. You go and get ready for breakfast and I see you in a bit. I know I need a shave, and I have to brush my teeth. I'll be ready in five minutes.

"I can't wait!" Rachel laughed as she jumped off of Finn's bed and ran back to her room to get ready for breakfast.

Down stairs Finn and Rachel were once again sitting side by side glued at the hip. Rachel was feeding Finn his ham and eggs and was asking who made the bigger commitment to his breakfast, the hen or the pig. This question had totally baffled Finn. He was also feeding Rachel her breakfast of fruit and steel cut oatmeal.

After breakfast, everyone return to their rooms and prepared for the day. Kurt, Carole, and Burt met the shuttle bus down stairs at nine-thirty so they could attend all of the pre-game activities that came with the season tickets including a company tailgating party. Rachel and Finn watched them leave, but before they left Kurt told Finn that he would give him a heads-up call before they left the game that afternoon.

Waving goodbye to Burt, Carole, and Kurt as they left the hotel lobby for the shuttle, Finn and Rachel couldn't wait to get back upstairs. When the shuttle bus closed its door and headed off, Finn and Rachel raced to the elevators and back up to Finn's room.

Alone in the ascending elevator, Rachel jumped up and wrapped her legs around Finn's waist eagerly unbuttoning his shirt collar as she kissed his jaw line. Finn was already working his way under Rachel's sweater.

"Excuse me, this is the second floor, are you getting off?" An elderly woman blushed at the two intertwined lovers in the back of the elevator.

"We'll take the next elevator. It's obvious that our serviceman here has not seen his girlfriend in quite a while. Let's leave the young couple alone," The elderly woman's husband winked at Finn before the elevator doors closed again.

Pulling their clothes back together, Finn and Rachel both burst into laughter. "I think we should cool it until we get to my room," Finn laughed. "We might get arrested for indecent exposure."

"Yes I think we should since this elevator has a camera in the corner," Rachel laughed pointing at the camera attached to the ceiling.

"I'm sure this isn't the first time that something like this has happened," Finn smirked as placed his hand over the camera's lens.

Back at Finn's room he fumbled with the door's key card before the two practically fell through the doorway. Scampering over to Finn's bed, Rachel jumped on it and was soon joined by Finn after he removed his boots and put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.

Covering each other with urgent kisses, they tried to get each other's clothes off as quickly as possible without loosing contact with each other.

"Wait," Finn paused. "The last couple of weeks have been so rushed; I didn't get by the PX. Did you bring some protection, or should we go and get some before we get completely naked?"

"Better than that, I'm on the pill. I've been on it for about six weeks now," Rachel smiled while tugging at Finn's undershirt. "I made an appointment with an OB-GYN after I got to New York and my cycle returned to normal. No more broken condoms for us."

Finn bit his lip, "You did that for us? We can ride bareback?"

"Yes cowboy, we can ride bareback. It'll be the first time that we don't have anything between us. No latex and no worries. I mean no worries if you've been tested."

"Rach, you know I was tested long before our first time, and there has been no one but you ever since."

"You're my first and only," Rachel smiled against his lips as she unbuckled his belt.

Later Rachel was resting her head on Finn's chest as he slept peacefully. Once again she was trying to make a memory. A memory of how he felt against her, the smell of his skin, the sound of his heart, his relaxed breathing.

With her fingertips she traced the freckles on his chest, on his neck, and up to the ones that were scattered across his nose and cheeks. She must have disturbed him because he reached up to scratch his nose in his sleep. Placing a small chaste kiss against his lips, his eyes fluttered open. She could fell his lips curl into a smile against hers.

"Good morning Beautiful," Finn sighed against her lips.

"It's not morning anymore silly. It is well past three in the afternoon," Rachel nuzzled into his neck.

"Is that why my stomach is growling? Are you ready for some lunch?"

"Yes, we've had an amazing morning, but I'm ready for something to eat and a shower. Since Burt was good enough to leave us the rental car, don't you think we should go and put a few miles on it? If we don't they're going to know that we never left the hotel," Rachel suggested.

"That sound like a good idea. I think we should leave the windows open while we're gone too. This room smells like sex, and you know how keen Kurt's nose is," Finn laughed as he watched his naked girlfriend scamper off in the direction of the shower.

She already had the hot water running when she came back to the bed and teased Finn, "Care to join me? The shower is big enough for two," Rachel winked as she threw her towel at him.

Finn untangled himself from the sheets and caught her on the way back to the bathroom. Both of them tumbled to the floor by the hotel room door. They were tickling each other when the tickling turned to passion.

Neither of them heard their hotel room door being opened until it hit Finn squarely on the top of his head. "Ouch!"

"What are you doing on the floor?" Kurt started to ask before he took in the sight in front of him. Kurt had banged a naked Finn on the top of his head with the door. Before him he saw Finn's bare back followed by Finn's bare butt. Beyond Finn's bare butt were two pairs of tangled legs. Tiny long ones and Finn's tree trunk legs.

Looking down at his feet, Kurt saw two pair of brown eyes looking up at him in shock. Rachel was beneath Finn. Finn was resting his weight on his elbows and was covering both of Rachel's exposed breasts with his hands.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you read the Do Not Disturb sign?" Finn snapped at Kurt trying to hide Rachel's nakedness with his own body.

"I called but no one answered, and who leaves a Do Not Disturb sign out at four in the afternoon? Dad and Carole are next door trying on their souvenir sweat shirts from the game. I'll stall them while you get some clothes on and for Pete's sake, cut off the shower. It's like a steamy locker room in here."

Rachel grabbed her clothes and ran to the bathroom to dress and get the knots out of her hair.

Finn threw open both balcony doors to let in some fresh air. He made his bed quickly and found Rachel's panties in the sheets. He threw them through the bathroom door to her just as she was about to get dressed without them. Finn was soon back in his Army fatigues and Rachel brushed her hair with Kurt's hair brush.

Flipping on the TV, Finn and Rachel jumped on the couch side by side and were watching the post football games results show when the trio from next door knocked on their door.

"Hi you two. Didn't you go anywhere? The rental car hasn't been moved," Burt asked with a suspicious look on his face.

"Naw, with graduation at Fort Jackson and USC's home game against Clemson we thought that the traffic would be horrible so we stayed here and enjoyed each other's company. That was some win for the University of South Carolina wasn't it?" Finn asked trying to wing it.

Rachel could see Kurt standing behind the parents giving Finn the "cut throat" sign. Rachel knew their goose was cooked.

"Weren't you watching the game at all?" Carole asked looking confused. "Clemson lead from the opening kick off. It was a pretty one sided game so we left early even though Kurt wanted to stay. I'm surprised. I didn't think Kurt liked football."

"It's an acquired taste," Kurt jumped in. "Show Finn and Rachel your sweatshirts that you bought before the game."

Carole modeled the bright orange Clemson Tigers sweatshirts that she had on. "I picked it because it had a big orange kitty-cat on the front. I'm glad that I did since they won."

"What do you have on the front of yours?" Rachel asked Burt. "It looks like a chicken."

"It's the University of South Carolina's Gamecock," Burt answered her smiling.

"What's a gamecock?" Rachel asked clueless.

"It is a fighting rooster, and that's me, one old fighting rooster," Burt beamed.

"I wouldn't say that too loudly around here," Finn said almost in a whisper. "Gamecock football is almost a religion here just like Buckeye football is back home in Lima."

"I still don't care," Kurt acidly remarked. "When you two wear your sweatshirts together, the orange and the burgundy will clash horribly."

"We don't care either. I'm going to wear mine with pride and Carole is going to wear her kitty-cat one with pride too, Burt remarked to his son.

"Mom, Burt, it's the Clemson Tigers. Please don't call them kitty-cats. At least don't do it when I'm around," Finn pleaded with his mother.

"Speaking of cats, this room smells like one had been in here?" Carole said sniffing the air.

"Maybe the people before us had one. This is a pet friendly hotel. By the way, I'm starved is anyone ready for dinner?" Finn asked trying to change the subject.

"Not me. I'm still stuffed from the game," Burt said rubbing his belly.

"Me too, why don't you three kids take the car and go out to eat," Carole offered.

"Not me. I'm not sure what I had to eat at the game, but I think I'm going to be seeing it again before this night is over," Kurt said holding his stomach. "You love birds take the car and have fun. Just don't wake me up when you come in Finn."

Rachel went back to the room she was sharing with Carole and Burt and took a shower and dressed. Finn was trying to do the same in spite of Kurt's wise-cracks.

"It's a good thing that I'm the one who opened the door on you and Rachel," Kurt chuckled almost to himself.

"Yeah, if it had been your dad, he wouldn't have stopped with banging my head once with the door. Thanks again for going with the parents to the game. I know that you hate football, and it has been so long since I've had any time with Rachel. I owe you one," Finn said patting Kurt on the back.

"All I ask is that you and Rachel keep your activities on your bed and not mine," Kurt acknowledged his brother.

"Don't worry, that's the beauty of hotels. Most rooms come with two queen size beds, and we didn't touch your bed."

"Just your bed, and the bathroom, and the floor. I'm surprised that you didn't try it out the balcony," Kurt smirked.

"I'm taking Rachel downtown for dinner. Do you want us to bring you anything?" Finn asked.

"Maybe some Alka-Seltzer if my stomach doesn't get any better. I ate something at the game that doesn't like me," Kurt burped.

A few minutes later Finn knocked on Rachel's hotel room door and soon the pair was on their way to downtown Columbia.

"Do you think Mom and Burt suspect anything?" Finn quizzed Rachel.

"I'm sure they do. What do they expect? We haven't seen each other in ten weeks. At least you're sharing a room with Kurt. I'm sharing a room with your parents."

"I'd rather be sharing a room with you," Finn smiled as he maneuvered the rental car through the traffic. "Look for a parking space. I haven't driven downtown before, but I looked it up on my phone and there should be a vegan restaurant near by."

"Did I tell you what your mom and Burt have planned for tomorrow? They want the five of us to meet up with Noah, his mom, and little sister and go to the Riverbanks Zoo." Rachel said while pointing out an empty parking spot.

"Ah man. I spent 24 hours a day with Puck. His little sister whines, and his mother nags," Finn complained. "Why would I want to go to a zoo and watch a bunch of animals mate when you and I can stay at the hotel and do the same thing?"

"Finn, you make our lovemaking sound so animalistic," Rachel laughed.

"Our love making is animalistic. Don't you remember?" Finn asked smugly as he wheeled the car into the empty parking space.

"Today was our day Finn. Your mom wants to spend time with you too. If this is what she wants to do then we should do it," Rachel said ignoring Finn's comments.

"Okay, as long as I get to spend the day with you, but the minute Puck's little sister starts whining we should bail!" Finn suggested giving Rachel a quick kiss on the cheek.

When the pair returned to the hotel that evening, Carole and Burt were already asleep. Kurt was monopolizing the bathroom with an upset stomach.

It was a warmish night for fall so the two sat up until well past two AM on the balcony watching the city below them.

"What are you thinking?" Finn asked as he nuzzled Rachel's ear.

"I'm thinking how much I love you and how this time tomorrow we will be hundreds of miles apart again," Rachel sighed heavily as she snuggled into Finn's side for warmth. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you love me. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad that you're mine and I'm yours. The next three years are going to be tough, but knowing that you're in New York waiting for me will get me through anything."

No one slept in on Sunday morning except Kurt who had spent the night in the bathroom.

"Do you want me to stay here with you son?" Burt asked. "You look a little green."

"No Dad, I'm okay. I have crackers and Gatorade. I'll be fine with some peace and quite. The four of you go on without me."

No one wanted to leave Kurt alone but he insisted. He wanted to sleep and he wanted Carole to have some time with Finn as well.

The Puckerman's were waiting at the entrance to the zoo, when the Berry/Hudson/Hummel's arrived.

"Noah, long time no see," Rachel hugged Puck.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you in 48 hours," Finn joked. "You haven't changed a bit. How did your mother talk you into a trip to the zoo?"

"It's more for my little sister, plus I wanted to see my Jewish-American Princess too," Puck hugged Rachel back.

"She's my Jewish-American princess and don't you forget it," Finn warned Puck.

"Until you put a ring on that finger, Rachel Berry is still on the market. Mom would love for me to have a beautiful Jewish girlfriend. Wouldn't you Mom?" Puck asked loud enough for his mother to hear him and to annoy Finn.

"Rachel, I still don't see what you see in this overgrown Gentile in the first place," Puck joked.

"My future," Rachel smiled looking up at Finn's smiling face.

After a few hours of strolling from one animal exhibit to another everyone was ready to head to their hotels. Finn and Rachel had spent the entire visit holding onto one another and sneaking kisses when they thought no one was looking.

Finn had to report back to the base at six PM. Kurt and Rachel's flight left for New York at eight followed by Carole and Burt's flight to Ohio at nine-thirty.

Kurt was feeling better after sleeping in all morning. After a quick lunch they let Kurt sleep away the afternoon while Finn joined Burt, Carole, and Rachel in their room.

The NFL was on so Burt and Carole watched the game from the comfort of their hotel bed while Finn joined Rachel on hers. The Green Bay Packers were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Finn really didn't care. Burt cheered the game while Carole mostly dozed. Finn pretended to watch the game while snuggled up next to Rachel.

It seems like the game was over before it even started. It would be soon be time for Finn to report back to Fort Jackson.

Finn woke Kurt up as he gathered up his things in their shared hotel room.

"Kurt, I have to report back to duty in a little while. Thank you for coming to my graduation, and for giving me some alone time with Rachel. I'm sorry that you're sick.

"It's okay, you'll just have to owe me one," Kurt smiled weakly. "I'll look after Rachel for you in New York. You look after yourself for me okay?"

"I will, I'll have to turn my phone back over to my sergeant when I get back to the barracks, but I'll call you and Rachel when I can – Okay?" Finn asked his brother.

"With one final hug Finn was gone. He took his gear and Carole and Rachel drove him to the base. Carole stayed in the car while Rachel walked Finn to the security gate.

"I'll see you in thirteen weeks," Finn whispered into her hair as he hugged her tightly.

"Break a leg," Rachel whispered as she held him tight.

"I love you," Finn whispered back.

-/-

Until the next chapter, thank you for reviewing and following my story. I'm sorry that my updates are getting further and further apart. I have a lot of personal stuff going on in my life right now. I try and get the next chapter up faster. Sincerely, Whistler Nights

Alka-Seltzer is owned my Bayer/Schering

Gatorade is owned by PepsiCo.


	15. Chapter 15 AIT MOS 91B

**AIT- MOS 91B – Chapter 15**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. Names are fictional and appear only by coincidence. )

Before Reveille had broken the pre-dawn calm at five AM for PT, Finn had been awake replaying the past weekend with Rachel in his mind. He was so filled with love for this girl but also excitement for the day ahead of him. Today was the first day of his Advanced Individual Training and he would begin training for his MOS- Military Occupation Specialist.

He and Puck had both chosen 91B- Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic. They were now part of the 187th Ordnance Battalion stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Shaking Puck's upper bunk, Finn was already clean shaven, dressed and ready for PT. Puck rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head.

"Man," get up! We can't be late for our first day!" Finn shouted in Puck's ear.

"Watch me," Puck groaned half asleep.

"Alright, it's your ass that hits the fan, not mine!"

"Okay, I'm getting up. Just because you had some rack time with Rachel on your weekend pass, you don't have to be so bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. It's still dark outside."

"It's dark every morning for PT. Didn't you have a fun on your weekend pass with your mom and little sister. You looked like you were having a great time at the zoo."

"What do you think; at least you've got a girlfriend."

"Is your mom still nagging you to find a nice Jewish girl?"

"Yeah, but the only one in Lima that I'd have is already taken."

"Yes, and she's all mine. There are thousands of soldiers here at Fort Jackson. Do you mean to tell me that you can't find a woman here?"

"Yeah, there are thousands of soldiers here, but they aren't all women. I do have my eye on a cute little corporal," Puck grinned.

"Well what's stopping you for talking to her?"

"She says that she doesn't talk to subordinates."

"What's a subordinate?" Finn asked puzzled.

"Us you idiot! Privates are further down the food chain than corporals. We're on the very bottom!"

"Well get out of bed and let's start working on that Private First Class," Finn encouraged Puck.

-/-

Finn and Puck had made it through morning PT, breakfast, and now were sitting in a classroom in one of the many ordnance buildings.

"I thought that we joined the Army to get out of school," Puck whispered to Finn as a few familiar faces and a lot of unfamiliar faces filled in.

They were looking for faces from their old platoon when a dozen sergeants and civilians came in. A new sergeant shouted, "Attention!" and everyone was on their feet standing in formation.

"At ease, you may be seated," The same sergeant barked.

"Good Morning!" the sergeant barked again in a gravely voice. "Welcome to WVMS or Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic School here at Fort Jackson. All of you are here because you have chosen this as your MOS and your scores on your ASVAB. You'll be taught both in the classroom and in the garages. Your instructors will be both military and civilian personnel. The civilian personnel are contractors for the Army. You do not salute them, but you will give them the same respect that you give any higher ranking military personnel, and you will address them as Sir or Mam. Is that understood?"

"Sir, Yes, Sir!"

"Good!" the sergeant continued. "My name is Sergeant Sherman. By the time myself and my fellow instructors are finished with you, you will be able to trouble shoot, fix, maintain, and test drive any wheeled vehicle that the Army owns. As you know your MOS is 91B. Every Army base on the planet has 91Bs within their command. Your job description means that you're a mechanic for any vehicle that the Army uses that moves on wheels and rubber, but that doesn't mean that you will always be safely tucked away in the motor pool working on equipment."

"You've been trained for combat in basic training. You many very well end up in combat. We'll teach you how to operate the equipment that you'll maintain. You may have to retrieve disabled equipment from behind enemy lines. You may find yourself driving a fuel tanker in a convoy to the front lines. What I'm saying ladies and gentlemen is that you're a soldier first and a wheeled vehicle mechanic second. Before I begin our introductions and the itinerary for the day, are there any questions at this time? If so please stand at attention."

Puck stood as Finn tried to sink lower into his seat.

"Sir, will we be driving Humvees?" Puck asked naively.

"Private, the US Army doesn't use the Humvee in the Middle East anymore." The sergeant shouted as he walked in Puck's direction. "Your group is on the fast track for Afghanistan. The Army doesn't use the Humvee in either Afghanistan or Iraq due to their lack of armament and the enemy's fondness for road side incendiary devices. We have bigger and badder equipment like the MRAP, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the newer JLTV. If you wanted to drive a Hummer, you should have stayed a civilian."

"Sir, Yes Sir," Puck answered red faced.

As Sergeant Sherman approached Puck's seat, Finn tired to sink a little lower in his own.

"Puckerman? I remember reading your personnel file. Your sergeants from basic said that you can be a smart aleck at times. Well I've no room or time for smart alecks in this outfit. Smart off with me and I'll burn your ass hotter than a distant relative of mine burned Atlanta. Do I make myself clear?" Sergeant Sherman shouted spraying Puck's face with spit.

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Puck shouted back.

The sergeant took his eyes off of Puck and was now zeroing in on Finn who sat beside him. Finn felt like he could go through a crack in the floor if there had been one big enough.

"Hudson it is?" the sergeant barked at Finn reading the name imprinted on Finn's uniform. "I read your personnel file too. You and Puckerman are from the same town aren't you?"

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Finn answered standing at attention.

"Are you a smart aleck too?" The old sergeant asked.

"Sir, No Sir!" Finn answered keeping his eyes forward.

"See that you aren't. At ease, you both may be seated," The sergeant said before he returned to the front of the classroom to introduce the rest of the instructors.

Later at lunch Finn was still burning from his dressing down.

"Thanks for getting us yelled at on our first day of AIT," Finn groaned as he picked at his mashed potatoes. "Now that Sergeant Sherman is going to be on us every day for the next twelve weeks."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly is a JLTV or a MRAP? Why can't they just call something what it is instead of a bunch of letters? If they're so crazy about letters, I have some for our Sergeant Sherman, how about SOB? I know what that means," Puck ranted.

"I had no idea that the Army wasn't using the Humvee in Afghanistan. And who's to say that Afghanistan is where we end up. You heard the guy say that there are 91Bs at every Army base on the planet," Puck defended himself.

"Haven't you been paying attention? A JLTV is a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle that the Army shares with the Marines. MRAP is short for Mine Resistant Ambush Protection. Anyway, twenty dollars says that both of us will be shoveling sand six months from now," Finn groaned while he continued to play with his mashed potatoes.

After lunch they were back in the classroom where they had spent the morning for orientation. The group was eventually broken up into smaller groups. Finn and Puck were still together, and they had been assigned to Sergeant Sherman as their first instructor. Puck knew that it had to be karma. This old grunt was definitely out to get them.

At the end of their first day Sergeant Sherman stopped Finn and Puck as they gathered their manuals and study guides.

"Hold up Privates Hudson and Puckerman, I've got something for you. It's called extra homework," the older man barked hoarsely at them.

The sergeant was holding two small greasy boxes. "Do you two farm boys know what these are?"

Finn peered down into the oily worn boxes and answered his instructor, "They used to be carburetors, Sir. Very old carburetors."

"Exactly," the sergeant said sharply. "I want the two of you to have them in perfect working order by Friday. We showed you earlier the garages where you'll be working. All of the tools that you'll need are there."

"Does the Army even use these anymore?" Puck asked. "I mean isn't everything computerized and electronic?"

"That's my point. A nuclear strike would be followed by a magnetic pulse rendering everything computerized and electronic useless. The pulse would fry the computer chips. These carburetors maybe old school, but I want to know if you two have the smarts to figure them out. I expect them fully operational by the end of the week."

Handing Finn and Puck the two boxes, Sergeant Sherman turned on his heel and was gone.

"Man, I wanted to start a letter to Rachel tonight, and we still have all of this stuff to read before tomorrow. Look what you've got us into. I don't even know if we have enough parts to fix these things, and he didn't give us any directions."

"No one else in our group has carburetor homework. Why do you think he singled us out?" Puck complained.

"I'll tell you why. You had to ask that stupid Humvee question, now the old man is out to get both of us. I had to rebuild one of these when I was working for Burt, and it came out of a 66 Mustang. The thing was almost 30 years older than me. Let's see how much we can get done before lights out," Finn grumbled.

After chow, Finn and Puck made their way to one of their assigned garages and began taking what was left of the carburetors apart. While the filthy parts soaked in gasoline they worked on their assigned WVM homework. After scrubbing the carburetor parts with toothbrushes they headed back to their barracks for showers and a few minutes before lights out.

Finn pulled out some paper and began his next letter to Rachel.

Dearest Rach,

I can't begin to tell you what this past weekend with you meant to me. Seeing you again was a dream come true. I think I love you a little more every day. I'm counting the days until Christmas Exodus when we'll have two weeks to be together.

Our first day in AIT is over, only eleven weeks and six days to go. I'd like to say that the day was great, but Puck and his big mouth got both of us in trouble with a new Sergeant. His name is Sergeant Sherman. You know like General Sherman in the Civil War? I think that they must be related because they're both badasses.

Anyway, thanks to Puck we have extra homework on top of our regular homework. We're rebuilding obsolete carburetors and studying current engine systems at the same time.

I'd like to be mad at Puck, but I can't be. He saved my butt more than once during basic.

How's Kurt? Did he get over his stomach ache? I hate that he got sick while he was here, but at least you and I had some time together.

Gotta go, it's five minutes till light out. I'll write more later this week. Thanks again for coming to my basic training graduation. Seeing you again is what's getting me through. I'll call on Sunday if we get phone privileges. All my love, Finn.

-/-

Kurt and Rachel's plane had landed back in New York late Sunday evening so Kurt decided to crash on Rachel and Heidi's couch for the night. When they arrived at Rachel's they discovered that it was dark except for the light coming from under Heidi's door.

"Heidi, we're back" Rachel said as she knocked on Heidi's door. Heidi didn't respond, but she could hear soft sobbing coming from Heidi's side of the door.

"Heidi, are you okay? May I come in?"

Rachel only heard a string of German phrases between the sobs. Then she heard the click as Heidi opened her door.

"Fraulein, what's wrong?" Kurt asked Rachel's roommate.

"I heard from my boyfriend Christian, he's being deployed."

"Deployed? Has Germany gone to war with another country?" Kurt asked stunned.

"No Germany is not at war, but he's going to be part of a peace keeping mission with NATO. I thought he would be safe in the German Army; our country is not at war. The Army is for national defense, but now he will be in danger."

"Where are they sending him?" Rachel asked.

"To the Balkans or possibly Iraq. Now that the US has pulled out of Iraq, NATO is supplying peacekeepers to the region until 2013. Christian is going to be in the line of fire just like your Finn will be in Afghanistan."

"Heidi, he's going to be a NATO peacekeeper. He's not the enemy. He should be okay."

"You do not understand. The peacekeepers mean nothing to extremists who are so filled with hate and rage. Germany has NATO peacekeepers in the Balkans. Two of them were shot last fall trying to remove a road block in Kosovo. Austrian, Hungarian, and Portuguese peacekeepers were injured too. Rubber bullets are not much of a defense and the insurgents know it. Christian will be like, how do you say it, a sitting duck."

Rachel and Kurt didn't know what to say, but Rachel let Heidi cry it out on her shoulder.

-/-

Later in the week in South Carolina, Puck and Finn were still working on the obsolete carburetors. On Friday morning they sat in their WVM classroom waiting on Sergeant Sherman with the rest of their class. The two oily boxes were sitting on the table in front of them.

"Attention!" barked Sergeant Sherman as he entered the classroom. After the morning announcements he made his way back to where Finn and Puck were sitting and peered down into the two dirty boxes.

"They're certainly cleaner, but do they work?" Sergeant Sherman growled at the two privates.

"I guess so," Finn answered. "We didn't have anything to test them on.

"There is no 'guessing' in my unit. You either know or you don't. Bring your boxes and we'll see if you two know what you're doing."

The group got up and followed the Sergeant out past the garages toward a building near the back of the compound. Inside they found themselves staring at a World War II era Willis Jeep.

The sergeant rolled up his sleeves exposing some old tattoos on his forearms disfigured with what looked like serious burn scars. He opened the hood of the Willis and propped it up.

"Okay boys, slap your carburetors on and let's see if your extra assignment pays off. Puckerman, you go first."

Puck pulled the tools that he needed from a tool box that sat on the seat of the Willis and attached his carburetor to top of the engine. Finn attempted to crank the Willis Jeep after Puck had finished. The engine spit and choked, but failed to turn over.

"Prim it with a little gasoline," Finn offered.

Puck poured the gas into the top of the carburetor and Finn tried again. The Willis sputtered and coughed, but came to life after a few cranks on the starter.

The group clapped as Puck beamed with pride. The sergeant only half smiled.

After Puck removed his carburetors, Finn attached his to the engine. Finn's carburetor worked on the first try.

"Meaning no disrespect, but what was the purpose of this?" Puck asked.

"Ladies and gentlemen, most of the soldiers that come through my classes rely on computers to do their figuring out for them. Almost all of the equipment that you will be working on will be computer driven in some way. But as I told these two privates, the computer chips that drive these operating systems will be fried in the event of a nuclear attack. I want mechanics that can think and reason and not depend on computers to do their thinking for them. Well done men. You have more smarts than I gave you credit for." Sergeant Sherman addressed Finn and Puck as he led the group back to their classroom.

-/-

Until the next chapter, thank you for the reviews. They keep me inspired. Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	16. Chapter 16

**You're In The Army Now – Chapter 16**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The South Carolina heat that had met Finn and Puck in August had finally released it's strangle hold on the South and was replaced by cooler weather and blazing fall colors. Even a few mornings had already had a coating of an early fall frost marking the way for the winter that was waiting around the corner.

The two friends had completed Basic Army Maintenance, Introduction to Engine Systems, Automotive Electrical Systems and TMDE. They were now starting the Diesel Engines and Fuel systems phase. Diesels were a whole new experience for both of them. Finn had never worked on anything diesel back in Burt's shop in Lima.

Puck was working on the top of a massive diesel engine while Finn was on his back on a creeper under the engine trying to find the source of an oil leak.

"Man I'm glad that Rachel can't see me now," Finn groaned as he struggled with a wrench as the burnt oil dripped down all over him.

"Yeah, as clean as Rachel is, she probably wouldn't let you within a mile of her. You even have grease in your ears," Puck laughed while looking down at his friend on the ground under the engine.

"Are you two here to learn or to talk about your sweethearts back home?" Sergeant Sherman asked as he walked up to inspect their work.

"Sir, I don't even have a sweetheart back home like Hudson does," Puck said turning around to address his superior.

"She's not back in Lima. She's in New York," Finn said as he pushed himself out from under the diesel truck. Apparently Finn hadn't realized that Sergeant Sherman was standing there. He banged his head on the truck's fender trying to stand at attention and salute with oil running down his neck.

"Make her proud of you," was all that the sergeant said as he smiled and walked away to the next service bay.

After a lot of scrubbing, Finn and Puck were making their way to the mess hall for lunch when they had to stop and watch an Army bus pull up. The bus was met by soldiers from the Reception Battalion who were already barking orders and insults. Out of the bus poured the latest batch of new recruits. Still dressed as civilians, there were the long hair, the low slung jeans, the preppy shirts, and the T-shirts emblazed with the names of rock bands or team logos across them.

"Looks like new blood," Finn noticed.

"Looks more like deer in the headlights if you ask me," Puck smirked.

"I wonder how many any of them will end of up Sergeant Freeman or Sergeant Slaughter."

"None if they're lucky," Puck frowned as he pushed his friend in the direction of the mess hall.

-/-

In New York Rachel and Kurt had finished their mid-term exams and their grades had just been posted. Rachel had received a B mid-term grade in Vocal Performance 101 and was totally devastated. She had never received a B in anything in her whole life and a B in vocal performance was more than she could take. Kurt had received a C mid-term grade in the same class.

"I can't believe that I received a B in Vocal Performance!" Rachel wailed to her friend. If all I can get in that class is a B, then maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I should quit, my dads are going to be so disappointed."

"Rachel, you and I know that there're students here who are better than both of us put together, but it just the first half of our first semester. We have the second half to pull these grades up. We'll just have to put in more hours in the practice rooms," Kurt said disappointed, but not ready to give up."

"I have an idea," Rachel brightened up. "For part of our final in Vocal Performance we have to perform in a recital for all of the vocal department professors. What if we ask Heidi to be our accompanist? She can play anything."

"Does Heidi really have the time? Her class load is as heavy as ours."

"All we can do is ask, I'm concerned about her. Since Christian told her that he was going to be deployed, she has been racked with worry. She spends so many hours by herself in the piano practice rooms, and when she's here you can tell he's on her mind."

-/-

Heidi was hesitant at first to accept Rachel and Kurt's request because her time was stretched, but she decided to make time for her American friends. Kurt had chosen to sing Josh Groban's _You Lift Me Up_. Rachel may have bitten off more than she could chew with her selection of Celine Dion's _My Heart Will Go On_.

A vocal teacher had once told her that if she couldn't perform a well known song as well or better than the original for competitions, than don't try it. All that the judges would hear in their heads would be the original, and would be judging her rendition against it. It was like stacking the deck against yourself, but Rachel was determined to do the Celine Dion classic justice. The three immediately started to work on the songs and the arrangements.

-/-

At Fort Jackson, Puck and Finn had finished their hydraulics assignment early one day and their instructor had given them the afternoon off which was rare. Not wanting to waste what might be one of the last warm afternoons, they changed into battalion t-shirts and shorts and headed to the basket ball courts looking for a game of pick-up. While standing on the sidelines they noticed two guys playing one-on-one. The two men were a little older than Finn and Puck, but wore the same 187th Ordinance Battalion t-shirts except theirs were worn and faded.

"Hi, I'm Finn and this is my friend Puck, mind if we join you?" Finn asked the two older soldiers.

"Sure, we'd be glad to take two new grunt's money" the taller guy bragged. "I'm Nate and this is my friend Jack. "We haven't seen you guys before, is this your first trip to the rodeo?"

"If you're asking if this is our first enlistment, then yeah this is our first trip to the rodeo. We finished basic and we're about half way through AIT," Puck answered as he passed the ball to Finn.

"I take it you're in the 187th judging from your shirts," Jack laughed as he hustled the ball away from Finn and went for the hoop. "Nate and I are both 91Bs. We did our training with the 187th about five years ago."

"Are you career Army?" Finn asked.

"I guess you could call us that. When our first hitch was up we reenlisted. As long as the enemy keep shooting our equipment up, or our own idiots keep tearing it up, there's a place for a 91B in the Army."

"Have you been in combat? Did you get to fix any Humvees?" Puck asked excited.

"What is with you and Humvees?" Finn snapped at Puck. "Sergeant Sherman told you that the Army doesn't use the Humvee in Iraq or Afghanistan any more."

"He's right," Nate agreed as he shot a three pointer over Puck's head. "Bullets and roadside IDs just rip through the sides and belly of the Humvee and ricochet around inside until they hit some flesh. We worked on some Humvees when we first got to Iraq five years ago, but they've been replacing them with the MRAP. Did you say Sergeant Sherman? Is he still here? He was older than dirt when we came through."

"If he's related to the one that burned down Atlanta, then yeah, he's still here," Finn yelled as he went for a rebound under the net.

"Is he still making new recruits fix carburetors for that old Willis Jeep that he has stored in a maintenance shed out back?" Jack asked as he knocked the basketball from Finn's hands.

"That would be us. Puck and I had to fix two of them our first week in AIT for Sergeant Sherman. Did you get struck doing that too?" Finn asked.

"Nah, the sergeant saves that assignment for new recruits that he sees some promise in. I guess that he didn't see much promise in the two of us." Jack laughed as he passed the ball to Nate.

"Sherman must have hundreds of those worn out carburetors stored in dirty shoes boxes. Don't look at it as punishment. Sherman is career Army and is as rough as a cob, but he really cares about the men and women he trains. He won't send you on if he feels you're not ready. Your life could depend on it."

"Do you know where he got those burn scars on his arms?" Finn asked.

"I don't know for sure, but the word is that he got them pulling another soldier out from under a burning half-track in Kuwait during Desert Storm."

"Desert Storm? My dad was in Desert Storm," Finn said remembering the true story of his father's death and looking away.

Eager to change the subject for Finn's sake, Puck asked, "Have you been in combat?"

"We've haven't been in the infantry, but we've been to the front lines. I was a suicide jockey for about a week in and out of Baghdad, and Nate has had to drive the meat wagon more than once. And before you ask a suicide jockey is the driver for a fuel tanker and the meat wagon is the ambulance that picks up the dead and wounded. They were right when they told you that the 91Bs do everything. You fill in and do what you're ordered to do. Anyway, I need to be going, my wife will be looking for me any time now."

"Wife?" Finn asked puzzled.

"Yeah, I married my high school sweetheart, and we live in base housing not far from here. We have a new-born son." Jack smiled broadly.

"Nate and his wife live a few doors down from us. They have a nine month old son. The wives throw us out everyday at nap time cause they say we make too much noise and wake the babies up. Will you guys be here tomorrow? Nate and I would be happy to take your money again."

"We're only have this afternoon because we finished hydraulics, steering and suspension early."

"Well enjoy the braking classes that are next and tell Sergeant Sherman that Nate and Jack said hello. He'll remember us as two screw ups." Nate laughed as the two made their way toward base housing.

As Finn and Puck watched Nate and Jack go, Puck turned to Finn and asked. "Can you see you and Rachel doing that someday? Living on an Army base with a dozen Hudson kids running around?"

"No never," Finn said slowly. "After my hitch is up I'll be joining Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine in New York. I'll have money for college in my pocket, and I can find work as a mechanic until I finish school."

"Do you think Rachel will still want a grease monkey after three years and she's breaking into showbiz on Broadway? I just can't see you being arm candy."

"I hope so because I know she's the one for me," Finn reminisced as he headed toward their barracks for a shower and to start another letter to Rachel. "I'm not going to be a mechanic all of my life. That's why I going to school after the Army."

-/-

It was approaching Thanksgiving break and Rachel and Kurt were packing for four days in Lima. After a lot of begging and pleading, they had convinced Heidi to come with them. They didn't want to leave Heidi alone in New York while they were gone.

"Is Finn okay with you not coming to South Carolina for Thanksgiving?" Kurt asked Rachel.

"We're both disappointed, but he only gets the one day, and his two week Christmas Exodus is right around the corner. I really need to see Dad and Daddy, and I can't leave Heidi alone in New York as upset as she has been. If I take her to South Carolina with me, she's going to feel like a fifth wheel. Finn says he understands. He says that he's going to pig out on what the Army passes for turkey and then he's going to sleep all day or watch football."

-/-

On the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, Kurt, Rachel, and Heidi arrived in Ohio. It was approaching midnight when Rachel unlocked her familiar front door.

"Dad, Daddy, I'm home!" Rachel called as she rushed into the living room. Hiram grabbed her in his arms while Leroy waited for his turn to hug his daughter. While Rachel and her dads were hugging, Heidi stood in the doorway in complete awe. She had never been inside such a fine home even though Rachel had always considered her home to be middle-class Middle America.

"Dad, Daddy, you remember Heidi my roommate? You met when you came to New York," Rachel asked when she untangled herself from her dad's hugs.

"Oh yes, Miss Schumacher, we didn't see much of you when we were in New York, but I do remember you," Hiram said offering Heidi his hand. "Welcome to our home and Happy Thanksgiving."

"Thank you for having me. I am looking forward to my first American Thanksgiving. Your home is so grand."

"It's not really all that grand, but we call it home and it's comfortable. We're glad that you decided to come home with Rachel instead of staying in New York by yourself. Come in and make yourself at home. Rachel can show you to the guest room upstairs. It's across the hall from her's."

"Thank you," Heidi thanked her hosts as she came into the living room and locked her eyes on the Steinway grand piano in the corner. Mesmerized by the instrument, Heidi walked over to the piano and had to touch the polished wood.

"Would you play for us?" Leroy asked. "Hiram and Rachel both play, but we would be honored to hear a concert pianist."

"It would be my pleasure," Heidi agreed as she ran her fingers lightly over the perfectly weighted keys. "If you have any selections, I would be happy to try them while I am here."

"You may regret agreeing to that," Hiram smiled. "Leroy fancies himself to be quite the vocalist."

"Dad, Daddy, let's not get into that," Rachel scolded. "Heidi and I just got here. Tell us what you've planned for Thanksgiving."

"Carole and Burt are joining us for dinner since Kurt will be having Thanksgiving at Blaine's house. Then Carole wants to take both of you girls shopping on Black Friday."

"What is Black Friday? Is it like Good Friday?" Heidi asked confused.

"Black Friday is only the biggest shopping day of the year!" Rachel gushed to her friend.

"Rachel, I do not have any extra money for shopping," Heidi said embarrassed.

"Heidi, I don't have a lot of extra money either, but I would like for you to help me pick out something special for Finn. It's fun to get out into the craziness of the holiday crowd. You can get to know Carole better as well. She's only the mother that everyone wishes they had had."

"If Carole can't be your mother, maybe she can be your mother-in-law someday," Heidi whispered to Rachel.

"I would like that more than you know," Rachel giggled as both girls headed up stairs.

After Heidi was settled into the guest room, she knocked on Rachel's door.

"Thank you again for inviting me. I was not looking forward to spending four days in New York alone. You and Kurt are really the only people that I know there."

"Kurt and I have been worried about you. You've been so pre-occupied since you received that letter from Christian about being deployed as a NATO Peacekeeper. Does he know where he's going yet?"

"Yes, they are sending him to the Balkans," Heidi said sadly.

"The Balkans? That's better than Iraq isn't it?" Rachel asked.

"You do not understand. Last fall two of my countrymen were serving as NATO peacekeepers in the Balkans and where shot near Kosovo. Austrian, Hungarian, and Portuguese peacekeepers were hurt as well. Being a NATO peacekeeper does not make you any safer. My Christian will still be in the line of fire just like your Finn."

Rachel paused not knowing what to say for a moment. "Then we'll get through this together," Rachel finally said as she offered Heidi a hug. Up until now Finn had been safe in South Carolina, but the thought of Finn being shot at was becoming even more real.

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day and Hiram and Leroy were up early preparing the feast. After Rachel and Heidi finished the table, they practiced for Rachel's exam recital at the living room grand piano.

Rachel had to stop singing and listen to her friend play. Even Hiram and Leroy came from the kitchen and listened as Heidi made the Steinway come alive.

"I always knew that piano contained a lot more music than I was ever able to get out of it," Hiram commented in amazement as Heidi played effortlessly. The house was filled will the strands of _My Heart Will Go On_.

"Bravo, bravo," Hiram, Leroy, and Rachel cheered as Heidi finished playing and a red tint spilled onto her cheeks.

-/-

Thanksgiving was different at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Puck and Finn were both on base, but instead of Government Issue turkey in the mess hall. Jack had invited them to have Thanksgiving with him and his family at their home in base housing. Nate and his wife Lisa and son Nicholas were there also, and for a little while Finn stopped missing Rachel.

After dinner, the four men played poker around the kitchen table. Puck was better at poker than he ever was at basketball and won back the money he and Finn had lost to Nate and Jack on the basketball court.

"Tell us about Afghanistan," Finn asked solemnly as he dealt the cards.

"Why do you want to know about Afghanistan? Have you received orders to report to Fort Irwin?" Nate asked.

"Yeah," Puck groaned. "Nearly all of us received our advanced orders this week. Finn and I'll be going to the NTC in California for desert training after we get back from Christmas Exodus."

"Well being sent to Fort Irwin is a definite sign that you're on your way to Iraq or Afghanistan. Desert combat training in the Mojave Desert has become mandatory for everyone heading to the Middle- East," Nate commented without taking his eyes off of his cards.

"Afghanistan is a very hot and sandy place," Jack said counting his chips. "On our last deployment there they had us welding hooks to the tanks. They would string long chains from one tank to another and then drag the chains around outside our base camp setting off the over-night land mines. Watch where you step if that's where you're heading."

After a few more rounds of cards, Puck and Finn thanked their hosts for having them for Thanksgiving and then headed back to the barracks. Finn and Rachel had arranged a video call for four o'clock her time and he knew that she would be waiting.

Rachel was waiting. She had been waiting all afternoon.

When Finn's image appeared on the screen she had to reach out and touch the screen. Finn did the same as the images of their fingertips touched.

After the video call Finn returned to his bunk below Puck's and threw himself head first into his pillow.

"Man, what's up with you?" Puck asked Finn peering over the edge of his top bunk. "You've been in a funk all day. I know Rachel not coming was a let down, but I thought you'd be in a better mood after your video call with her."

"Puck, except for everyone yelling at us, basic training and AIT have been okay. I actually feel good about myself and what I'm doing. But getting those orders to report for desert combat training has made being deployed for the first time a reality. Now I'm seven hundred miles away from Rachel. In California I'm going to be three thousand miles away for her. In Afghanistan we're going to be on the other side of the freaking world for months at a time."

"You knew that we wouldn't be here at Fort Jackson forever and Afghanistan was probably where we were going to end up. If you tell anybody, I'll kill you, but I'm a little scared," Puck said almost in a whisper.

"Yeah, I'm scared too, but that's not all of it. Not seeing Rachel today, and being with Nate and Jack with their wives and kids just got me to thinking. They're going to be deployed again soon. It'll be months before they see their wives and kids again. They're going to miss whole chunks of their kid's lives."

"Dude, it's a choice that they made and a life that they chose. We're only going to be doing this for three years." Puck said as Finn flipped over in his bottom bunk to see his friend still hanging over the edge of the top bunk above him.

"Well, I'm going to make a choice too. I'm not going to be in the Army forever and I know what I want. What I want is a life time with Rachel after my enlistment is up. If we can get passes for Saturday after we get off duty, will you go into town with me?"

"Sure, what's in Columbia that's so freaking important?" Puck asked.

"I've been saving my pay since we got here. Hanukkah and our Christmas Exodus are coming up, and I don't know a thing about buying diamonds."

-/-

Until the next chapter, thank you for reviewing.

A/N To my readers, I am sorry that it has been so long since I updated this story. My mother had an unexpected stroke and passed away two weeks later. I wrote this chapter the first time while I was sitting by her bedside as she slept. Some how, I inadvertently deleted the chapter. As a distraction, I have tried to rewrite the lost chapter from memory this past week. Thank you for your patience. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. Whistler Nights


	17. Chapter 17

**A Proposal – Chapter 17**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

(**A/N** Before you begin to read this chapter, I would like to apologize to the people who have been following this story. After my mother died in April, I became very depressed for awhile and writing became the last thing on my mind. I am better now and thought that I owed it to you who have been patiently waiting to find out what happens to Army Finn and Broadway Rachel. I hope you enjoy this rather long chapter. It took a lot of false starts to write it.)

-/-

Finn's search for the perfect diamond for Rachel turned out to be more of a quest since Finn seemed to know more about baseball diamonds than the 4 C'S. He had hoped to find the perfect ring on his first foray into Columbus, but nothing was quite right. Puck grew tired of being dragged from one jewelry store to the next.

"What's wrong with a round one?" Puck asked. "The jewelry story guys say that's what everyone's getting."

"That's the point. That's what everyone's getting. I want something that shows Rachel just how special she is to me."

"And something you can afford," Puck laughed.

"I know what I want," Finn sighed loudly as they made their way back to Fort Jackson. "Maybe if I draw it, I can get it made. That would make it special and uniquely Rachel."

That night before lights out at their barracks, Finn sketched one design after another until he had the idea that he was looking for. It consisted of five geometric kite shaped diamonds. When the shorter sides were put together in a circle the five stones formed a perfect star. When Finn and Puck had been out searching, one jeweler had shown them a pale canary yellow diamond. If Finn could get the ring made out of five matching canary yellow diamonds set in a yellow gold band, it would look like a gold star. It would be perfect.

Finn would also need Kurt's help to find out Rachel's ring finger size. Rachel had many rings and Kurt was always at her place. If Kurt could "borrow" one of Rachel's rings and take it to a jeweler to get it sized, Finn could make sure that it fit her when he asked her to marry him.

Finally he would need to ask Hiram and Leroy for their daughter's hand in marriage. Finn loved her dads and they loved him, but this was their only child. He knew that Hiram and Leroy were worried about him being deployed to a war zone. They hadn't mention it out loud, but the possibility their daughter becoming a war widow had crossed everyone's mind including Finn's.

With his design for the perfect ring for Rachel in hand, Finn started searching the internet for a goldsmith to make Rachel's ring. The next Saturday afternoon, he drug Puck into Columbia again.

They found a goldsmith who was willing to make the ring, but finding five perfectly matched canary yellow diamonds was going to be the problem. It was also going to be expensive. Finn had saved most of his pay since August, but it still wasn't enough. The Army took money out of every paycheck to go toward his college fund. After everything else it didn't leave a lot. Discouraged Finn turned to leave the goldsmith shop and start his search over. Maybe a traditional diamond would be enough. He had seen several at the base PX.

Puck noticed how disappointed his childhood friend was and stopped him.

"Dude, since we've been confined to base for most of the past four months, I haven't had a chance to blow my paycheck on women and booze and foolishness like that. I have more money in the bank than you do since I didn't take the college fund option. How about I give you a loan?" Puck offered taking Finn by the arm.

"I thought you were sending money home to your mom," Finn said in surprise.

"I wanted to, but she wouldn't take it. I'd be happy to loan you what you need. Pay me back when you can. You and Rachel really do belong together, and the ring that you drew up would be perfect for her. It would help me make up for all the times that I've screwed you over," Puck grinned sheepishly.

"You'd do that for me?"

"You know I would. You'd do the same for me, and isn't that what Battle Buddies are for?"

Finn smiled widely and turned back around to talk to the goldsmith again. Rachel's ring would be ready before Christmas if the five matching stones could be found.

-/-

Back in New York, Kurt returned to his dorm room after the Thanksgiving break. He was surprised to find that Snake and all of his belongs were gone. On Snake's strip down bed Kurt found a note.

"Hey Kurt, You know that I was given an academic warning before Thanksgiving. Rather than "shame" my parents again with an academic suspension or getting expelled, I've decided to drop out. This school stuff isn't for me anyway. I'm heading to LA to search for the life that I want. Not the life that my parents want for me. Come to one of my rock concerts someday. Have fun hitting the books. Your former roommate, Snake, aka Stephen.

"Well," Kurt said out loud. He knew that Snake was miserable in school. Maybe he'll find what he's looking for in LA. Then Kurt thought about what kind of roommate the student housing department would pair him up with next. Snake had been the polar opposite of himself, but Snake was never there. He just left a big mess in his wake, and was always "borrowing" Kurt's stuff. That part Kurt wouldn't miss.

Rachel and Heidi returned from the Thanksgiving break to find a letter in their mailbox from Christian to Heidi. He had been sent to the Balkans and was in Slatina, Kosovo. He was okay, but the tension between the majority Serbs and the minority ethnic Albanians was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Heidi sat down on her bed and began to cry.

"Heidi, he said that he was fine," Rachel tried to reassure her roommate.

"He is fine for now, I feel like the peacekeepers are nothing but a tiny referee between two fighters in a prize fight. Neither side will respect the peacekeepers if they get in their way. The peacekeepers have been shot there before."

"Then we'll just have to keep Christian in our thoughts and prayers. Finn's Mom says that prayers and keeping busy are the only things that keep a military spouse from making themselves crazy with worry."

"Alright, I will try to keep myself busier than I already am. After we get unpacked lets go over to the practice rooms. It's Sunday night and maybe we won't have to wait for one," Heidi sniffed rubbing away the last of her tears. "Your Celine Dion song is good, but we can make it better."

-/-

Time seemed to be moving in slow motion in New York while it was racing ahead at break-neck speed in South Carolina. Finn and Puck were working overtime on their AIT classes trying to finish early. There were others in their class that were right on time and others that were struggling. Sergeant Sherman was proud of Finn and Puck's progress even though he never told them so. Sherman did tell his superiors that the two of them were two of the best recruits that he had trained and to keep them together if possible. They were getting so good that one would know which wrench or socket the other needed before they even asked for it.

It was during these last weeks at Fort Jackson that Finn and Puck received their advanced orders. They were to report to Fort Irwin in California the third week in January. The orders were for desert training. It seemed definite. The Army wouldn't be sending them for desert training if Afghanistan wasn't their next stop.

They took their letters over to Nate and Jack that evening and let them read them. "The writing on the wall does seem to point to Afghanistan," Nate sighed. "Afghanistan is the current hot spot since the President has pulled the troops out of Iraq. Jack and I are going to be deployed back there after the first of the year; we got our orders last week. Maybe we will run into each other."

"At least you're getting your desert training over with in the winter. Nate and I did ours in the middle of August, but the Mojave Desert in California still didn't seem to be as hot as Iraq," Jack mused while handing the orders back to Puck and Finn.

That night Finn was tossing and turning in his bunk so much that he woke up Puck in the bunk above him.

"Man, what's your problem?" Puck asked looking over the edge of his bunk at Finn below.

"Combat is for real now. Should I go ahead and tell Rachel that they're sending me to a war zone? Would it be fair to ask her to marry me and then maybe not come back? I don't want to make her a war widow."

"Finn, I think that you should be up front with Rachel. We all knew that there was a better than likely chance that we would be sent into a fight before we got out of the Army. It's not peace time you know. You can ask her to marry you, but make it a long term engagement. Get married when your enlistment is up and she has graduated. That's what I would do."

"She has to say yes first. I really didn't want to tie her down to a long term engagement in case she found someone better or I didn't come back. I really didn't want to make her a widow either. Maybe asking her to marry me isn't a good idea after all."

"Would you stop putting yourself down," Puck hissed at Finn. "For Rachel there's no one but you. I should know, she could have had me, but her heart belongs to you. And we're coming back. I promised my Nana that we'd both be back without a scratch. Tell Rachel about Afghanistan, ask her to marry you and then take it from there. You won't know if you don't ask. Plus the ring should be ready in time. I want to see what the money that I loaned you is buying. Now get some sleep. We have to bleed lines on half a dozen diesel trucks tomorrow morning, and it won't be a picnic."

Finn rolled over and eventually went to sleep, but his sleep was racked with bad dreams. In one he saw himself lying dead in the desert with Rachel crying over him in her wedding dress. In another he returned home, but without a leg. When morning finally came, he was worn out from fighting the dreams that had haunted him all night.

The weeks at Fort Jackson finally came to an end. Puck and Finn had both completed their automotive certifications ahead of time and had been promoted twice. They had gone from Private to Private Second Class to Private First Class. Finn was so proud of his accomplishments. This felt better than the winning touchdown back in high school.

They were waiting for their orders when Finn received a message. Rachel's ring was ready. On Saturday Finn and Puck made their way into Columbia to get the ring.

"Is it want you expected?" the goldsmith asked.

Even Puck was speechless when Finn opened the tiny ring box. Inside sat a perfect gold star made out of five kite shaped diamonds in pale canary yellow. The goldsmith had placed the diamonds together in an invisible five prong mount of yellow gold.

"I must say that it's one of a kind," the goldsmith smiled.

"One of a kind for a one of a kind woman," Finn smiled.

"I just hope that your lady loves it as much as you obviously love her," the goldsmith said as he placed the ring back into the ring box and then in to a small bag for Finn.

Back at the base, Finn couldn't take his eyes off of the ring as he lay in his bunk. It wouldn't even fit on his pinkie finger. He hoped that it would fit her ring finger as this proposal had to be as perfect as the ring.

"Would you stop playing with Rachel's ring before you lose it?" Puck scolded his friend. "We've finished everything here, and all we need is to be dismissed for Christmas Exodus. When Sergeant Sherman lets us go I want to be ready to head to the airport."

"I didn't think that I would say this, but I'm going to miss this place," Finn said sliding the ring box back into the bag and into his pocket.

"Well I didn't think that I'd miss Lima, Ohio either, but it'll be good to be home for a few weeks. Hanukkah started on December 8th, and I've missed it, but my family's going to make up for it on Christmas."

"I thought that your family didn't celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah the way Rachel and I do."

"Nana didn't like it, but this year we're making an exception," Puck laughed stuffing the last of his things into a duffle bag.

-/-

In New York Rachel, Kurt and Heidi had spent many long hours in the practice rooms getting Kurt and Rachel's songs ready for their Vocal Performance 101 recital exams. It would be the last part of their first semester exams before they headed home to Lima for winter break. They had kept the songs close to the originals, but had changed the arrangement a little to make the songs their own and not karaoke copies.

Heidi had been a big help reworking the arrangements and being with Kurt and Rachel so much had kept her mind off of Christian in the Balkans. She had received another letter from Christian. Tensions were still running high near the border, but the bitter cold was keeping everyone off of the streets and inside. He hoped to be home in German by the time summer arrived.

Heidi wasn't going home for Christmas. The airfare to German was more than her parents could afford. Instead she had agreed to go to Lima with Rachel and Kurt again. Kurt had brought his Navigator back after Thanksgiving, and her friends weren't leaving her alone for two weeks over the long holiday.

The day of the Vocal Performance recital arrived and the recital hall was packed. All of the vocal professors sat in the front row with their students behind them.

The students had been given the choice of using recorded music or an accompanist. Rachel and Kurt were both glad that they had Heidi accompanying them.

Kurt would be the 18th to perform followed by Rachel who was scheduled 19th. It would be a long and sometimes discouraging day as the performances and critiques. Rachel truly felt like a small fish in a big pond as one outstanding performance followed another as her class members took the stage. At least tomorrow she would be on her way back to Lima and Finn should be waiting for here there.

Finally Kurt's turn came as he and Heidi approached the stage and the imposing grand piano. Rachel and Kurt were among the few students who had chosen to use an accompanist. As Heidi started the opening bars of Josh Groban's _You Raise Me Up_ for Kurt, Rachel felt that she and Kurt had an edge.

Kurt performance was met with a standing ovation. Kurt was one of the very few countertenors that had ever passed through the school and Heidi's accompaniment only made his performance that much more outstanding.

Rachel was next as Kurt gave her an encouraging smile as they passed each other on the stage steps. Taking her place beside the piano, Rachel introduced herself and then Heidi began the Celine Dion song. The auditorium was dark except for the single spot light that was shining on Rachel. As she looked out onto the audience she could only see a few professors on the front row.

Starting slowly, Rachel began _My Heart Will Go On_ as Heidi gave her a small smile. By the time she reached the climax of the song her voice was filling the recital hall and Rachel could hear people clapping and cheering as her voice continued to build.

_You're here, there's nothing I fear_

_And I know that my heart will go on _

_We'll stay forever this way_

_You are safe in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on -_

When the song slowly came to a close the house light came up and everyone was standing on their feet chapping and cheering. In the back the loudest cheering was coming from two men that she hadn't seen there before. Squinting her eyes in the lights she could tell that the two men were dressed in Army fatigues. One soldier was shouting louder than the other, "That's My Girl! That's my Rachel!" The stunned professors turned around to see who doing all of the shouting.

Rachel smiled widely as tears streamed from her eyes. She was supposed to meet Finn in Lima the next day. She hadn't expected to see Finn and Puck at her recital. Rachel bowed to the audience, descended the stage steps, smiled graciously as her professors, and reluctantly took her seat by Kurt as she gave Finn a wide smile and a small wave.

"Did you know that he was coming?" Rachel whispered to Kurt as she retook her seat beside him.

"No, the last time we talked he was flying into Lima tomorrow with Puck," Kurt whispered back.

When the recital was over, Rachel ran as fast as she could to the back of the auditorium, evening gown and high heels be damned. Everyone seemed to understand the urgency and got out of her way.

Overcome with joy, she found her soldier she jumped into his arms and hung onto him for dear life. Rachel was still holding him tightly when they were approached by her professor.

"Was this a stunt to get me to raise your grade?" the professor asked a red faced Rachel.

"No," Finn interrupted. "She didn't know that we were coming. We finished our training at Fort Jackson early, and we switched our flight at the last minute. I hope that our surprise hasn't ruined things for Rachel. I just really wanted to her sing, and we haven't seen each other for over three months. It's my fault. I couldn't wait to see her, and Puck and I were doing all of the cheering."

"We'll see," the professor said as she gave Finn the smallest of smiles.

As the professor turned to leave, she looked at Rachel and said, "Your song selection was a gamble, but you did Celine proud. Good Job."

Rachel was still hugging Finn when Kurt and Heidi caught up to them in the auditorium foyer. The three stood there trying not to stare at the reunited couple as they kissed for what seemed like as eternity as everyone else filed out of the recital hall.

"You can breathe anytime, buddy," Puck said tapping Finn on the shoulder awkwardly.

Finn and Rachel broke their kiss and turned around to see Kurt introducing Puck to Heidi.

"I can't believe that you're really here. I thought you were flying to Lima tomorrow. What made you decide to come to New York? How long have you been standing here?" Rachel spat out the questions not letting go of Finn's hand.

"We've been back here for awhile. We stood in the back, because we didn't want the two of you to see us until you finished. Our commanding officer gave us our orders and let us go early. We didn't decide to switch fights until we got to the airport in Columbia," Finn smiled trying to remember all of her questions.

"Let's all head back to the dorm. I can't wait to get out of this dress and these heels and into something comfortable. Heidi and I still have to packing. I want to hear all about AIT. Where are you and Puck going to spend the night?" Rachel rattled the questions off in quick succession again.

"Wait, wait, and slow down. We didn't think that part out, but Puck and I and can stay with Kurt and his roommate Snake since you live in an all girls dorm. We're used to sleeping in a barracks full of snoring guys or on the ground during bivouacs."

"My roommate Snake has dropped out, I have an extra twin bed and a couch," Kurt offered. "The two of you can stay with me. But right now I'm starving. If you'll give us a few minutes to change out of these formal clothes I'll take you to Samurai Sushi, my treat."

"Wait, I appreciate the offer, but if you all don't mind, I'd like to take Rachel out just the two of us," Finn smiled awkwardly at his brother.

Finn turned to Rachel and asked, "Rach, I'd like to take you to that place where they have the huge Christmas tree and all the ice skating that I've seen on TV. I haven't seen you in over three months, and I'd like to take my girl out if Army fatigues are good enough. That's all Puck and I have to wear until we get to Lima."

"Please take her and have a good time. If you two went with us we couldn't eat for your shameless display of tonsil hockey. Puck, do you like sushi?" Kurt asked.

"You bet I do. Sushi isn't exactly on the Army menu at the mess hall. Let's leave these two love birds to do some catching up. I'm already getting sick watching them suck face," Puck groaned.

"Heidi, do you mind if I go out with Finn? I'll leave you with Kurt and Puck, but Kurt will keep Puck in line," Rachel asked Heidi who was already beginning to feel like a fifth wheel.

"No. please go. You haven't seen your Finn for so long. I can stay at the dorm and finish packing for our trip tomorrow," Heidi objected.

"Nonsense Frualein," Puck smiled sweetly at Heidi. "I wouldn't dream of leaving a beautiful woman home alone, and these three can tell you that I'm harmless!"

"Puck, she has a boyfriend. A very large boyfriend who is in the German Army," Rachel intervened while rolling her eyes.

"Listen Berry, I'm not asking her to marry me. Just have some raw fish with Kurt and myself. Didn't you hear? Kurt's buying!"

The five piled into Kurt's Navigator and headed back to the dorms so Rachel, Kurt and Heidi could change out of their performance clothes.

Rachel changed into some skinny jeans, knee high boots, a white sweater, and a red coat. Soon she and Finn were in a cab heading for an Italian restaurant near Rockefeller Center.

"I can't believe that you're actually here, pinch me, I might be dreaming," Rachel gushed as she held Finn's arm with both hands.

"I'm here. When you told me the date of your recital, I pushed Puck to finish as early as possible. Sergeant Sherman didn't want to dismiss us early, but Puck explained the situation to him and he made an exception," Finn confessed as he tumbled the ring box in his pocket nervously.

"Rockefeller Center is beautiful. Kurt and I have been by several times to see them put up the giant Christmas tree and watch the ice skaters. I know that you skated for hockey, but I don't know how. If you want to skate, you'll have to teach me."

"Nah, I don't want to skate. Not this trip. This is your first Christmas in New York, and I wanted to share part of it with you."

At the restaurant they hardly touched their spaghetti as each told the other about their last three months apart. Rachel did most of the talking as Finn was content to hold her hand and stare into her chocolate brown eyes.

"How did he get so lucky?" Finn thought to himself as Rachel talked. All he could think about was the beautiful woman in front of him and his proposal. He has rehearsed it so many times and in so many ways.

Finn listened intently as Rachel retold the events of the last three months of her new life in New York City. Finally she asked Finn about AIT and Fort Jackson and where he and Puck were heading next.

"Rachel, that's one of the reasons why I wanted to spend some time with you alone before we head back to Lima. Puck and I received our advance orders a few days ago and I wanted to talk to you about them face to face."

"Are they sending you to Afghanistan?" Rachel interrupted.

"No, not directly, but we'll probably end up there by summer."

"What do you mean?" Rachel interrupted again.

"Puck and I'll be heading to California for Desert Combat Training after the first of the year. Our friends back at Fort Jackson say that's a sure sign that we'll be heading to the Middle East. We have to get used to the heat and fighting in the desert."

"Fighting? You and Puck are in the motor pool not the infantry," Rachel interrupted a third time. "You won't be out on the front line where you can get shot! You'll be back where it is safe fixing trucks, right?"

"Rachel, in the Army you're a combat soldier first and your specialty second. They'll send us where they need us. That's why we went through Basic Combat Training to begin with, to learn how to fight. But I'll be okay. Nate and Jack have had two tours already and neither one of them have even had a scratch. We've discussed me being the Army many times, and I thought you were okay with it."

"I was okay with you being safe in South Carolina. I was okay with the idea of you being stationed at some out of the way place where people weren't getting shot at on a daily basis. The Army has bases all over the world. Why can't they send you to Antarctica or something?" Rachel asked as she began to panic.

"And be eaten by polar bears," Finn tried to tease back and lighten the mood.

"They don't have polar bears in Antarctica. Just a bunch of penguins," Rachel retorted over her barely touched spaghetti.

"Rach, I don't have a choice in this now. I am a Private First Class in the United States Army. I go where they send me. You know that. I'll be back in the States before you know it."

"I'm sorry Finn. It's just watching Heidi fret and worry over Christian has made the reality of you being deployed to a war zone even more real for me."

"Where is Christian?" Finn asked while rubbing the back of Rachel's hand.

"His unit is with the peacekeeper force in the Balkans. Two of the German peacekeepers have already been shot there. You're going to be in even more danger than he is."

"Yes, but I've been trained to do this. Rachel, Puck and I will be okay. I have you to come back to which is even more reason to keep my head down and my eyes open. That is if you still want a life with an enlisted man."

"Finn, I want a life with you more than anything."

"Then trust me to come back to you. After my three year hitch is up we'll have the rest of our lives together, and I wouldn't miss a life with you for the world."

"I'm sorry," Rachel sniffed. "I know that we've discussed all of this before. You can't blame me for panicking when the love of my life is going to be on the other side of the world in a place where you could get killed."

"Rachel, either one of us could get killed crossing the street. We'll get through this. Someday when we're old, we can bring our grandkids to New York City for Christmas and tell them all about the Army grunt and the Broadway star."

"Grandkids?" Rachel asked rubbing the tears from her face.

"Well I think we need the kids first, don't you think?" Finn asked flashing his dimples that never failed to make her smile.

Rachel didn't answer but only smiled at him as a blush rose in her cheeks.

"Are you going to finish your spaghetti? Finn asked changing the subject. "If not I would like some real New York cheesecake, and then I want to head over to Rockefeller Center to see the giant Christmas tree and the ice skaters."

Rachel was jolted out of her trance. "No go ahead and order some cheesecake for yourself. I'll finish my spaghetti and watch you pig out on some our world famous New York style cheesecake."

While Finn ate his cheesecake with one hand, he held Rachel's hand with the other. The whole time it felt like the ring box was burning a hole in his pocket.

When the dinner check arrived, the waiter smiled at Finn as he handed him the bill. "Our manager said that your cheesecake is on the house. It is our way of thanking our men and women in the military for your service to our country."

"How are you going to make any money like that?" Finn asked the waiter astounded.

"We'll its Christmas time and you and the young lady seem to be very much in love."

"We are!" Rachel spoke up wiping the last of the whipped cream from Finn's lips with her napkin.

"Yes, we are, and thank your manager. The cake was delicious." Finn said as he pulled Rachel's chair out for her.

Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel's tiny waist as she guided him toward Rockefeller Center. The wind had an icy chill to it, but neither one of them seemed to notice as they made their way to the towering Christmas tree and the ice skating rink.

"It's so much bigger than I ever imagined," Finn said in awe as he looked up at the tree on the other side of the rink.

"Yes," Rachel said as she pushed herself into Finn's side for warmth. "It took them several days and a few cranes to set the tree up and to decorate it. Kurt and I watched them one day on our lunch break. I can understand why you wanted to see it."

"I wanted to see it because I wanted something to mark a very special occasion."

"The day you and Puck surprised us in New York and came to our recital," Rachel giggled as her teeth chattered.

"No, I wanted to mark the moment when I asked you to be my wife. Rachel I know that we're going to be apart, but I'm coming back to you. When it's over, I want to spend the rest of my life being your husband. You have believed in me when no one else did. Your love will get me though anything. Just knowing that you're mine will bring me back," Finn asked as he dropped to one knee and held out the open ring box.

Rachel was totally speechless as she looked at the gold star diamond ring that was twinkling in all the Christmas lights.

For a few seconds her eyes darted from the ring box to Finn's face and back again as he shifted nervously on the ice cold pavement.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Finn asked sheepishly as the people around them began to stare at the soldier on one knee and the brunette with her mouth hanging open.

All at once it registered as Rachel screamed, "Yes, yes, I will marry you," as she threw herself into his arms. When Finn stood up he was holding her off the ground in a lingering kiss as the onlookers began to clap and cheer.

Setting her on the ground Finn removed the ring from the box as Rachel held out her ring finger.

"I have never seen such a ring," Rachel gasped as she looked down at the canary yellow diamonds forming a perfect star.

"I had it made especially for you, Kurt, and your dads, and Puck were in on it too.

"But how?" Rachel asked still stunned.

"Kurt found out your ring size. I called your dads over Thanksgiving to ask their permission, and Puck helped me out."

"My dads have known about this since Thanksgiving?" Rachel asked amazed as she starred at the dazzling ring on her ring finger.

"Yes, and they said that they couldn't be happier for us. I'm surprised Mom or Kurt haven't spilled the beans before now. I think I drug Puck through every jewelry story in Columbia when we could get a pass."

"Finn this ring couldn't be more perfect. It's as perfect as our lives are going to be together," Rachel smiled before she kissed Finn again.

By now a small group of onlookers had gather around the newly engaged couple and were more interested in staring at Finn and Rachel than the skaters or the Christmas tree.

"I think we're causing a scene," Finn whispered as he broke the kiss. "Maybe we should take this somewhere else."

"Let'em stare. It's not everyday that I become engaged to the man of my dreams," Rachel whispered back before she pulled Finn in for another kiss.

"Well it freezing out here. We need to get you back to your dorm, and I need to find Kurt's dorm before they lock the doors for the night," Finn nuzzled to her ear.

"You're not going to Kurt's dorm. You're spending the night with me."

"But you live in an all girls dorm. What about your roommate? How are you going to get me in?" Finn asked surprised.

"Over half of the students have already left for Christmas break including the Resident Assistants that man the front desk. I just have to get you past one security guard and we're home free," Rachel teased.

"What about Heidi?"

"She has her own room in our suite. I know that she's asleep by now."

At Rachel's dorm she was met by the lone security guard as Finn waited outside. Rachel made the excuse that the ice machine on her floor was broken and asked the guard if he would get some for her. While Rachel waited for the guard to return with the ice she motioned Finn inside and up the stairs.

The hallway was clear as she opened her suite door and saw that Heidi's door was closed and her light was off.

Inside Rachel's room, they tore at each other's clothes while trying desperately not to be overheard.

When all of Rachel's clothes were on the floor, Finn stepped back for a moment to admire her bare form in the soft glow of her desk lamp.

"I'll never get tired of seeing you like this," Finn whispered as he eyed her up and down.

"I'm not completely naked," Rachel smiled as she held out her hand with the glistening gold star diamond ring on it.

"I hope that ring is something that you never take off," Finn grinned as he carefully pushed Rachel back onto her narrow dorm bed.

-/- Once again, thank you for all of your patience with me and my story. It took awhile for me to get over my mother's death, but with the help of my family and friends, I'm doing much better now. Until next time, please keep reviewing. Sincerely, Whistler Nights

_My Heart Will Go On_ - Music by James Horner

Lyrics by Will Jennings

Performed by Celine Dion 1997


	18. Chapter 18  Not Enough Time

**Not Enough Time – Chapter 18**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

-/-

Kurt's Navigator was huge, but still was packed to the headliner with the five friends for the trip from New York to Lima for Christmas. Kurt had even been forced to leave some of his skin care products behind which he wasn't happy about. Puck and Finn's Army duffle bags were tied to the roof rack on top and Rachel was holding her Christmas and Hanukkah gifts in her lap. It had taken some cramming to shoe-horn everything in, but the rolling sardine can was on the road heading toward Ohio.

Puck was driving with Kurt riding shot gun. Heidi, Finn and Rachel were trying to sleep in the back seat, but Finn couldn't get his long legs in a comfortable position. His head was propped against the window with Rachel leaning against him. Heidi was wedged in against the other door behind Kurt. Kurt tried to sleep, but every time he dozed off he would wake up to find Puck driving 20 miles over the speed limit.

The five were already getting a late start. Sneaking Finn into the all girl's dorm the night before had been a piece of cake, but getting him out in the morning proved to be more difficult. Distracting the security guard the night before had been easy, but a new guard had taken over. A 6'3" soldier in a freshman girl's dorm wasn't the easiest thing to sneak past the front desk.

Rachel wanted to get up early and show everyone her dazzling engagement ring, but found that she was entangled in Finn's warm arms and legs when she awoke. They were both on the floor wrapped in her comforter and sheets. Remembering the events of the night before, she was content to watch Finn sleep as the night sky lightened.

Finn's muscles were hard and taut. He even had a sun tan in December from all of the morning runs in the South Carolina sun. He snored just a little and had drool on his chin. Rachel reached up and tickled his nose which he scrunched up and then swatted waking himself up.

"I'm up sergeant, I'm up," Finn yelped trying to wake himself up.

"Shhh! You're not at the barracks, and I'm not your sergeant. You're in New York with me. If you don't be quiet, you're going to wake Heidi and half the dorm up," Rachel giggled trying to keep Finn from standing at attention and saluting butt naked.

"Where am I?" Finn asked groggily trying to orient himself.

"You're on the floor of my dorm room in New York."

"But what are we doing on the floor?"

"Don't you remember? After we made love for like the third time, you dozed off. The next thing I knew you rolled off the bed, onto the floor and took me and the covers with you. My dorm bed isn't big enough for both of us."

"I don't remember that part; I must have been really been tired. I do remember the fantastic love making, and I do remember you agreeing to marry me," Finn grinned pulling Rachel's left hand out from under the covers to admire the ring on her finger.

"I'm glad that you remember that part. You, and this amazing ring, and the Christmas tree, and the ice skaters made last night the happiest moment of my life."

"Mine too," Finn whispered rolling Rachel onto her back as he began kissing her neck.

Rachel started to protest telling Finn that they had to get out past the security guard when there was a soft tapping at the door.

"Just a minute," Rachel called unwrapping herself from Finn's arms and legs and pulling the sheet around her.

"It's just me Heidi," the voice said from the other side of the door called. "I just wanted to let you and Finn know that I'm through with the bathroom if either one of you want to take a shower."

"How does she know that I'm here?" Finn mouthed silently to Rachel trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Thank you Heidi. We'll be out in a minute," Rachel softly laughed throwing an extra towel in Finn's direction.

"I think everyone on the third floor knows that you're here after last night," Rachel laughed as she wrapped her towel around her and headed for the bathroom with her clothes for the day in hand.

While Finn showered, Rachel called her dads and told them about her engagement. Then she called Kurt.

"Look out your window Mrs. Finn Hudson to-be," Kurt cooed into his phone smoothly. "Puck and I are packed and in the parking lot below your window waiting for you. We're assuming that Finn spend the night with you since he never made it to my dorm."

Rachel pulled open her blinds and looked at the two smirking men below her window. She waved and held up her ringed finger for them to see. Puck winked and Kurt waved back.

"Tell my lazy-ass brother to hurry up and get some clothes on. We don't know how you got him in your dorm last night, but we've got to figure out a way to get him out. It's going to be like sneaking a bull out of a china shop," Kurt smiled looking up at Rachel in her window.

"Finn's in the shower, but I'll send Heidi down to meet you in the lobby with some of our luggage. As soon as Finn's ready we'll come down the back stairs with the rest of our things. Hopefully I can cause a diversion by showing the security guard my engagement ring, and Finn can blend in with Puck in his Army fatigues."

"I hope last night was worth all of this sneaking around and you possibly getting caught," Kurt said smugly into the phone as he motioned Puck to walk with him around to the front of the building.

The security guard stopped Puck and Kurt as they entered the lobby. Heidi stepped out of the elevator and told the guard that the men where there to help she and Rachel with their luggage.

Finn and Rachel came down the back staircase and watched the lobby from the adjoining hallway for the right moment.

Rachel quickly approached the guard jumping up and down showing him her unique engagement ring leaving Finn in the hallway. When the guard had his back turned, Finn tried to sneak out without being noticed.

"Excuse me Miss Berry, but did that tall serviceman just accompany you downstairs?" The guard asked eyeing Finn as he headed for Puck and the front door.

"Sir, those are our friends from Ohio. They're hitching a ride with us for winter break. If you'll excuse me I still have some presents upstairs that I need to pack into the car that's waiting for us. Merry Christmas! Heidi and I'll see you in January," Rachel rattled quickly hoping to avoid actually lying to the guard.

With that Rachel scurried toward the elevator and the others headed toward the car that was parked in the back.

The guard scratched his head and swore to himself that he had only seen one man in Army fatigues come in, maybe there were two. Anyway Rachel was such a nice girl, and she had made Christmas cookies for the security guards.

Out in the parking lot Finn noticed that Puck already had his duffle bag secured to the top of the Navigator with his. The back was loaded with suitcases and presents. When Rachel returned she had to squeeze herself between Finn and Heidi in the back seat. Puck almost gave her whiplash as he sped out of the parking lot.

"Tell me my innocent Jewish princess," Puck said in Rachel's direction. "This is 2012 and New York City. You're not high school. You're over eighteen. What happens if you get caught with a man in your room after curfew?"

"I'll have to plead my case to the student governing board and get possibly get an earlier curfew for breaking student housing rules. They'd inform my dads that I had a man in my room after hours. Freshmen are required to live in the dorms. They say the rules are for the protection of everyone in the building, and it makes the parents less nervous sending their daughters off to the big city alone."

"Are the freshmen men on lock down too?" Puck asked Kurt.

"Supposedly, but the policy is a lot stricter in the girl's dorms."

"So you can sneak a guy into a freshman guy's dorm unnoticed?" Puck asked Kurt again.

"Basically!" Kurt smirked at Puck.

"Kurt, they don't know you very well do they?" Puck joked as Kurt pointed Puck in the direction of the interstate.

It was a long drive. They stopped for breakfast and gas near the Pennsylvania border. When everyone came out of the restaurant Kurt was in the driver's seat and Finn had claimed shotgun. The back seat was so tight that Finn had lost the feeling in his cramped legs.

"You trust me to sit in the back seat with your fiancé and the beautiful German fraulein?" Puck spat at Finn.

"Rachel can handle herself and Heidi knows karate. Now put on your seatbelt and behave, before I drive off without you," Kurt scolded Puck.

Six hundred miles after they started Finn was pulled the black Navigator into the driveway at Rachel's house that evening. Hiram, Leroy, Carole, Burt, and Blaine were all there to greet them.

All of the attention was on Rachel and her fabulous ring. The men unloaded Rachel's luggage as Carole gushed over Rachel and Finn and their engagement.

"When's the wedding?" Carole asked excitedly.

"We haven't talked about that part yet. I only asked her to marry me last night, but I think that we should wait until after I'm discharged and Rachel graduates."

Both Carole and Rachel were caught off-guard by Finn's assumption.

"Finn, I'm on the fast track to graduate in three years, but that still puts our wedding off for two and a half years. I don't think that I can wait that long." Rachel said confused.

"I don't think I can either," Carole said disappointed. "I've waited for a daughter for a long time."

"I have to agree with Finn," Leroy interrupted. "If Rachel is planning on graduating a year early, she won't have time to concentrate on a wedding and her studies."

"I totally agree with Leroy and Finn," Hiram added. "Leroy and I have been dreaming of our little girl's wedding ever since she was a 20 week old fetus. It's going to take a couple of years to plan the most spectacular wedding that the Mid-West has ever seen!"

Finn sighed, "Like I said, Rachel and I really haven't had a chance to talk about a wedding date. It's getting late, and it has been a long day on the road. Let me take Puck home. His family hasn't seen him since BCT graduation either, and I know they're anxious to see him too. Mom, Burt, I'll see you later at Chez Hummel-Hudson." Finn excused himself from the frenzied scene in the Berry drive-way.

"I'll call you later," Finn whispered to Rachel as he kissed her goodbye.

"That was kind of rude," Puck scolded Finn as they drove off toward Puck's house. "You left Rachel there to handle all the questions from two sets of parents."

"Rachel can handle them, besides I need to talk to Mom later about the deployment. I didn't want to spoil Rachel's reunion with her dads. You saw how happy she was."

"She's happy because she marrying you," Puck scolded Finn again.

"Man, we're going to be in Lima for a month. There will be plenty of time to discuss desert combat and Afghanistan later."

Finn arrived at the Hudson/Hummel house about an hour later. Carole and Burt were home, but Kurt had left with Blaine.

"Mom, Burt, I sort of expected you to still be at the Berry's," Finn said as he came through the back door carrying his and Kurt's luggage.

"We came home to give Rachel some time with her dads after Kurt took off with Blaine. Burt and I want to hear all about your engagement. You left Rachel's house rather abruptly."

"Mom, Burt, we need to talk. Puck and I received our advanced orders. We'll be heading to Fort Irwin, California the third week of January."

"That's good news. You'll still be stateside," Carole smiled.

"Mom, you don't understand. We're going to Fort Irwin for desert combat training. They'll be teaching us how to fight in the desert. It's the fast track to Afghanistan. Puck and I'll probably be deployed over there by summer."

Finn continued, "I want to marry Rachel. Knowing that I have her to come back to will get me through anything. I just don't want to make her a war widow. She and I talked about this deployment before I asked her to marry me."

"Is Rachel okay with you going to a war zone?" Burt asked quietly.

"No, no military wife, or girlfriend, or what-ever is okay with that. But Rachel knows that the deployments come with the territory. She and I have talked about me being sent to a combat zone on the other side of the world. That's why I want to wait. After I'm discharged, we can be married, and I can begin my education and work part time in a garage to support us. Rachel will have graduated by then and she can audition full time. It's a plan."

"Well you have our support and congratulations on your engagement. You and Rachel were made for each other. Now tell me, where did you find such a perfect engagement ring?" Carole asked trying to lighten the mood.

"I drew it and had it made by a goldsmith," Finn said proudly. "I've been saving my pay, but didn't have enough money. Puck helped me pay for it, so I have to survive this deployment so I can pay him back. He'll kill me if I don't."

"Good ole Puck," Burt laughed. "He has grown up a lot since the days he used to toss Kurt in the dumpsters. The Army will do that to you."

"Puck's a different person from the one I grew up with. We've been battle buddies since the first day of basic. I trust him to have my back. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to unpack, shower, and call Rachel before I go to bed," Finn excused himself hauling the Army duffle bag up the steep stairs.

Later that evening Finn settled in his bed and picked up his phone to call Rachel.

"Could I please speak to Mrs. Rachel Hudson?" Finn asked brightly when Rachel answered the phone.

"There's no one here by that name, but you're speaking to the future Mrs. Rachel Berry-Hudson.

"That does have a ring to it. I like that," Finn laughed back.

"Yes, I've been thinking about it. My stage name will be Rachel Berry, but my real name will be Rachel Hudson. I want to keep my personal and professional life separate. My life with you is going to be our own little world."

"That's what'll happen when I marry Broadway's next rising star. You'll have the fans and the paps in your face 24/7."

"Not if I can help it," Rachel cooed back into the phone. "Our life is going to be our little bubble. We'll have our own little piece of Heaven away from the public eye."

"We had our own little piece of Heaven last night, even if we ended up on your dorm room floor. I'm missing having you in bed with me right now," Finn sighed into his phone.

"Baby, as long as I'm in your arms, I can sleep anywhere. I miss being in bed with you right now too. You know if we went ahead and got married, we wouldn't have to sneak around. We could have a Christmas/Hanukkah wedding. All of our friends are probably in town for winter break," Rachel suggested hopefully.

"Have you told your dads about my deployment?" Finn asked seriously.

"No, I wanted to sit down and talk to them with you. We spent the evening getting Heidi settled in the guest room and talking about our engagement, and school, and the recital."

"Your dads seemed okay when I asked them for their permission to ask you to marry me. Are they still okay with the idea of their only child marrying an Army grunt?"

"Finn, you know that they love you, and they were blown away with the engagement ring that you had made for me. But they want us to wait until after I graduate and you're discharged. I don't think I can wait that long to be Mrs. Finn Hudson."

"It's tempting, going to sleep every night and waking up with you every morning, but we've got to be practical," Finn said jolting himself out of his momentary daydream.

"Well you think about it Mr. Hudson, and in the mean time can you come over tomorrow morning? I know that your mom wants to spend time with you, but my dads will both be here before they take off on a business trip tomorrow afternoon. I think Kurt and Blaine are taking Heidi shopping. It'll be a good time to talk to my dads about the deployment."

"I'll be there as soon as your dads will let me in your house in the morning. I want to spend every single moment that I can with you."

"You know if we were married, you could spend every single night with me too," Rachel giggled into the phone.

"Don't tease me or I might come over and climb that tree outside your window. Do you remember the one that I used as an escape every time that your dads came home early when we were in high school?"

"I hate to tell you, but Dad and Daddy had that tree cut down and replaced with thorny rose bushes. They were wise to our afternoon rendezvous, but I'll be up early waiting on you. Sleep tight my love."

"I will because I'll be dreaming of you and our life together. I love you Mrs. Rachel Berry-Hudson to-be.

"I love you more!" Rachel said with emphasis before she ended the call.

The next day Finn was at the Berry house bright and early. Hiram opened the door in his bathrobe.

"Isn't it kind of early?" Hiram asked Finn as he opened the kitchen door for him.

"Not by Army standards and I want to spend every minute with Rachel that I can."

"I do too!" Rachel squealed as she ran into the kitchen, past her father and into Finn's arms planting a lingering kiss on his lips.

Hiram stood there in an awkward silence before he excused himself to take Leroy a morning cup of coffee.

By mid-morning, Kurt and Blaine had been by to pick up Heidi and it was just Finn, Rachel, Hiram and Leroy sitting around the kitchen table.

"Finn, Hiram and I are glad that you have decided to wait until after Rachel graduates and you have been discharged to get married," Leroy smiled as he stirred his second cup of coffee. "We're glad that you're being practical."

"That's right," Hiram echoed his husband. "You're officially engaged and there's plenty of time. Now that you have finished at Fort Jackson, what's next for you Finn?"

"That's what Rachel and I want to talk to you about," Finn said slowly while taking Rachel's hand in his. "Puck and I have received our advanced orders. We'll be heading to California in January for desert combat training. It's mandatory for all soldiers heading to the Middle East. Puck and I may be stationed in Afghanistan as early as next summer."

"But you and Puck trained to be mechanics; you won't be on the front lines will you?" Hiram asked with growing concern in his voice.

"Mr. and Mr. Berry, in the Army you're a combat soldier first. That's why they put you through Basic Combat Training. We met other wheeled vehicle mechanics at Fort Jackson that have already completed two tours in Iraq. They said they been pulled to drive fuel trucks in convoys and even had a week driving the meat wagon. You go where they need you."

"Meat Wagon!" both Hiram and Leroy exclaimed in horror.

"I'm sorry, that's Army slang for the ambulance that picks up the wounded and dead soldiers," Finn backtracked knowing that he probably had said too much.

"Really, Puck and I'll be in the mechanic's garage far back away from the enemy line. We'll only be drivers if they need us to fill in. Sort of like a substitute teacher," Finn blushed trying to smooth over the information that he had spilled.

"Then it's a good thing that you and Rachel are having such a long engagement. If anything happens to you, we wouldn't want our baby to be a war widow."

"Dads! Nothing's going to happen to Finn!" Rachel jumped in trying her best at damage control. He's going to come back just like you see him right now!"

"No he's not Pumpkin! War changes people! Even if they come back without a scratch they can still be traumatized by what they have seen and had to do. It's called PTSD!"

"And what if Finn's wounded? He could lose a limb or be mentally disabled. All of the emotional stress could lead to mental instability or drug _," Hiram stopped in mid-sentence knowing that he had crossed the line.

"Daddy, that's enough!" Rachel raised her voice to her father.

"Finn, I'm so sorry. I should have never said that. I would never say anything to disrespect you or your father. Rachel has told us about the heroic things that he did while he was in Desert Storm," Hiram apologized.

"It's alright, Finn finally said softly. "I understand your not wanting your only child tied to mentally, emotionally, or physically disabled husband. I won't hold Rachel to the engagement if I don't come back to her in one piece."

Rachel was stunned.

"We only want what's best for both of you," Leroy said embarrassed.

"What's best for me is Finn! Whole or not, he's the love of my life. He understands me better than anyone else on Earth. I have found my soul-mate. He's going to come back to me safe and sound. I can feel it in my bones!"

"Rachel, please don't talk to your dads like that. They have a point. Our friends Jack and Nate came back okay, but not all of them do. My dad came back without a scratch, but what he saw and what he had to do messed him up."

"Your dad was in the infantry, he was on the front lines everyday," Rachel snapped as she stood up tugging Finn with her. "I need some fresh air. If either of you need me, Finn and I'll be at the mall finishing our holiday shopping."

Leroy looked at Rachel with pleading eyes as she grabbed her coat, and pulled Finn out the slamming back door.

Rachel was speechless as she snuggled into Finn's side as they rode to the mall. Her anger was still simmering as Finn found a parking space.

"It's okay," Finn said as he tried to smooth Rachel's hair. "You dads have a point, and they only want what's best for you. You're all that they've got."

"That's not true. They have me, they have you, and they'll have all of our amazing future children," Rachel said still seething. "I thought they were all for our engagement."

"They are Rachel. They told me so when I asked them for permission to ask you to marry me. It's me going to a combat zone that has them spooked. They want to make sure everything turns out okay before we make it, you know- legal and binding. Now let's head into the mall. You need to help me pick out a Christmas present for you," Finn said trying to calm Rachel down.

"You and my ring are my Christmas and Hanukkah presents for the rest of my life."

"No, I want to get you something special," Finn almost pleaded.

Rachel was quiet for a moment before she turned and looked Finn straight in the eye and asked, "Can you put your hands on your birth certificate or your passport right away?"

"Yes, they are both with all of my import papers, why?" Finn asked.

"Because there's nothing that I want more than to marry you right now. We won't tell anyone. Coach Beiste was married in a wedding chapel in Indiana. We can do the same thing. I'd feel so much better sending you off to war if we were married."

"Rachel, you're upset, this isn't something that you do on the spur of the moment. What about the grandest wedding that the Mid-West has ever seen?" Finn asked totally confused.

"My dads want the grandest wedding that the Mid-West has ever seen. I only want to be your wife, from this day forward. Do you want to marry me or not?" Rachel asked determined.

"You know I do, but what about the part about not telling anybody?" Finn asked dumbfounded.

"It'll be our secret. It'll be the beginning of our little world together. The world that the outside doesn't see. I really want to do this. This is how much I believe in you, how much I believe in us. We can drive straight to Indiana and be back before dark. I promise you," Rachel smiled.

"But what about a marriage license?" Finn asked still perplexed.

"We can get one from the clerk of court and be married by the justice of the peace all in the same building. All we need are our driver's licenses, certified copies of our birth certificates or our passports. We're both over eighteen."

"What about the rings?" Finn asked seriously.

"We have our ATM cards; we can stop at a jewelry store on the way. We just can't wear them in front of our parents since we're keeping this our secret. Please Finn, do this for me. I want to be your wife before the Army sends you off to God knows where," Rachel pleaded.

"Are you sure? You've dreamed of a Cinderella wedding since you were a little girl." Finn asked.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life," Rachel said looking Finn in the eye.

-/- Until next time please review. Your comments are appreciated so much.


	19. Chapter 19  Secrets

**Secrets – Chapter 19**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. **Smut **warning for this chapter.)

-/-

It was already dark when Finn and Rachel pulled into the Berry's driveway.

"You haven't said much on the way back to Lima. How does it feel to be a married man?" Rachel asked Finn as he cut off the car's engine.

"That part feels great; I just don't understand why we have to keep our marriage a secret. Everyone knows that we're engaged."

"I'm still so angry at my dads for the things that they said this morning. I want this little bubble of ours to be perfect for a little while longer before we tell them and all hell breaks loose. They're going to be disappointed that they weren't there, and that they didn't get to put on the wedding of the century. We're married, and that's all that matters to me."

"It's just this isn't the way I thought our wedding night would be. I'm dropping you off at your house and heading back to my house just like we did in high school," Finn sighed spinning his new wedding ring around his finger.

"How did you picture our honeymoon, Mr. Hudson?"

"I don't know, some place warm like the Bahamas or snowy like Canada. Just me and you in a big bed in a luxury hotel somewhere."

"Finn, what's the most important part of that equation?" Rachel asked her husband.

"Me and you starting our lives together as husband and wife," Finn confessed.

"Exactly, I don't need palm trees or snow covered mountains to have the best wedding night with my new husband. My dads are in Columbus. What's keeping us from spending the night here? I do have a big bed?"

"Heidi? Did you forget that she's spending winter break at your house?"

"Heidi's in the guest room. Her presence next door didn't stop us night before last. I think everyone in the dorm knew what was going on. We aren't the quietest lovers. Are you having second thoughts about marrying me so quickly?"

"Never, it's just not the romantic wedding night that I wanted you to have," Finn smiled weakly.

"Let me be the judge of that," Rachel smiled leaning in for a lingering kiss.

"Rachel, I promise you, someday we'll have a honeymoon in Paris or Niagara Falls. I promise.

"We could just head back to New York for New Years."

"Are we going to tell Heidi that we're married?" Finn asked.

"Not for now. I'll tell her when we go back to school in January. Right now I just want to enjoy being Mrs. Christopher Finn Hudson without my dads coming down on us for running off and eloping."

"I like the sound of that - Mrs. Christopher Finn Hudson," Finn smiled as the words rolled off of his tongue. "If keeping our marriage a secret is what you want to do then we should take off our wedding rings, and you need put our marriage license away for safe keeping."

"I'll put our marriage license in the back of my suit case along with my wedding ring. Do you want me to put yours with it?"

"No, I want to hang on to mine. It'll remind me of you while I'm deployed. Nate and Jack tell me that the Mojave Desert gets extremely cold at night just like in Afghanistan."

"Lets not talk about that now. Text your mom and tell her that you won't be home tonight so she won't start looking for you. We have a wedding night to get started."

"Mom? I forgot all about her. Rachel, I can't keep something like this from her."

"Just for a little while. Being an Army wife herself she'll understand us wanting to keep the rest of world out of our little world for awhile."

"Okay, but just for a little while. I want the whole world to know that you're my wife."

Finn left a quick text message for his mom and then he ran around to Rachel's side of his old truck and picked her up.

"To the bridal suite, you know this marriage isn't legit until its consummated don't you?" Finn smiled wickedly as Rachel kissed his cheek.

Upstairs, Finn carried Rachel across the threshold of her room before pushing the door closed behind him with his foot.

"Rachel, we left so quickly this morning, all of the clothes that I have with me are the clothes that I have on."

"You're not going to need any clothes tonight," Rachel purred seductively. It's been a long day, mind if I freshen up with a shower before we go to bed?"

"Only if I can help you with your shower. As your husband, it's now my official job to wash your back for you."

"I'm holding you to that," Rachel smirked as her clothes began to fall away.

"Wait, that's my job too."

Finn wrapped his arms around her and attempted to unzip her dress while kissing her at the same time. Rachel pushed Finn's jacket off of his shoulders and was making quick work of the buttons of his plaid shirt and his belt.

Soon there was nothing between them. "Wait, I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life," Finn smiled eyeing his bride up and down.

"Finn, you've already seen me naked, and we've had sex dozens of times before."

"I've never made love to my wife before, and you're so beautiful."

"And I've never made love to my husband before either," Rachel smiled into an ever deepening kiss.

"Rachel, the shower can wait, because I don't think that I can." Finn whispered as he laid her down on the bed.

He was kissing her throat and rubbing his hand over her breast and abdomen when Rachel stopped him and looked into his eyes, "No foreplay this time - just love me, please."

Finn adjusted himself over her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. With one push he was in. What started as a slow rhythm soon sped up until Rachel arched her back under him and tried to muffle her cries. Her inner walls clinched around him tightly and then he felt the ebbing aftershocks of her spent body. With no more encouragement needed, his body tensed as he soon exploded, one, two, three times.

They were both panting and sweating as Finn held his position over her. "It's official, baby. We've consummated our marriage. We're now really man and wife."

Finn started to pull away when Rachel stopped him. "Just stay here for a moment."

"Okay, but why?" Finn asked as he felt himself beginning to go limp.

"I'm making a memory. A memory of when you and I truly became one. Just like the justice of the peace said. Two shall become one."

"We've got all night, and I feel like I'm grossing you out with all of my sweat. We can continue after a shower. Remember, I owe you a back rub."

"I'm holding you to that," Rachel smirked as Finn pulled away gently and headed for the shower.

As the shower steam rose around them, Finn washed Rachel's hair and rubbed soapy circles on Rachel's back.

Reaching around her he asked, "May I wash the front too?"

"I'm all yours, you don't have to ask."

Finn's large hands engulfed Rachel's breasts as he kissed the back of her neck.

"That goes both ways, doesn't it?' Rachel asked while turning in his arms to face him.

"I'm all yours too," Finn moaned as Rachel began to soap up his reawakening member with both hands.

"Rachel, if you keep that up, I'm not going to last very long." Finn stuttered.

"Well by all means, let's go back to bed," Rachel smiled. "You go get in bed, and I'll be there after I dry my hair just a little."

Finn stepped from the shower and quickly dried with a towel. "Don't be long," he whispered.

Rachel quickly dried her hair just the slightest bit, wrapped herself in an oversize towel and headed for her bedroom.

"Finn, I'm sorry, but I don't think I have a night gown suitable for a wedding night," Rachel pouted looking into her closet.

"Mrs. Hudson, you don't need one. A night gown would only cover your beauty." He had remade the bed and was now covered to the waist with the sheets and propped up on one elbow. He had turned down her side of the bed, and was waiting for his bride.

-/-

It was mid-morning, and Rachel was sound asleep in Finn's arms. It had been a bliss filled wedding night, and they were both exhausted. But there was a slight knock at her bedroom door.

"Rachel, it's me Heidi, I hate to wake you and Finn up, but your dads are back."

Rachel's eyes flew open as what Heidi had said began to register in her brain. Finn's arm was dead weight over her shoulder as she tried furiously to wake him up.

"Finn, you've got to wake up and get out of here. My dads are back.

"Rachel, we're married. I supposed to be sleeping with my wife."

"My dads don't know that. Help me find your clothes so you can get out of here."

"Rachel, I hate this sneaking around. I think we should tell your dads that we're married," Finn yawned pulling on the boxers that Rachel had tossed at him.

"We will, I just don't want them to find us naked in bed together before we do. Get your clothes on and I'll tell them that you came over early to fix my computer or something. Meet me downstairs in five minutes."

Rachel jerked on some sweats, combed her hair quickly and headed downstairs. No sooner had she walked out the door than she came back in and removed her wedding ring and tucked it into her luggage.

Finn came downstairs a few minutes later to find Hiram, Leroy, Heidi, and Rachel sipping coffee in the kitchen. His wedding ring tucked safely in his pant's pocket.

"Did you get my computer fixed?" Rachel asked before anyone could ask a question.

"I have everything up and running," Finn smiled coyly.

"Finn, it's very nice of you to come over and fix Rachel's computer so early in the morning. I'm surprised that she let you in the door without any make-up on," Leroy remarked giving his daughter a suspicious eye.

"Yes, and isn't that the same outfit that you had on when you were here yesterday?" Hiram observed Finn. "I distinctly remember that jacket and plaid shirt from yesterday."

"All of my civilian clothes are too tight in the shoulders. This is all I've got to wear unless I break out the fatigues. Hopefully, I'll get some clothes for Christmas," Finn explained trying not to make eye contact with either man.

"I'll walk you to your truck," Rachel excused herself and Finn before heading outside.

Finn stopped at his truck and turned to talk to Rachel.

"Rachel I don't think I can do this. I want to tell everybody that you and I are married. I don't want to start out our new life together on a lie. I hate being away from you. I've got to leave the third week in January anyway."

"Okay, tonight is Christmas Eve. Let's tell everyone tonight. Your Mom and Burt have invited us over to your house for Christmas Eve since Heidi is Christian and we're Jewish. Carole didn't want Heidi to miss out on Christmas, and my dads didn't want to put up a Christmas tree."

"That sounds great. So I'll be spending tonight with my wife instead of by myself at Casa Hummel/Hudson?"

"If my dads don't kick me out first," Rachel smiled leaning in to give her secret new husband a goodbye-for-now kiss.

-/- Until the next chapter, please review. As all of you who write fanfiction know, reviews are the things that keep you inspired and writing.

Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	20. Chapter 20 InLaws

**In-Laws – Chapter 20**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Christmas Eve morning and Finn had just kissed his bride goodbye-for-now and was heading back to the Hummel/Hudson home in his old blue Chevy truck.

He was a married man, a freaking married man, and he couldn't be any happier! His thoughts waned back and forth between their wedding night that had just ended and the thought of facing their parents that evening with their big announcement.

He and Rachel had agreed. Tonight there would be a Christmas Eve celebration between the Hudson/Hummel/Berry clans and they would tell their families their news. What the parents didn't know was that there would be one less Berry and a new Hudson when they sat down to eat that night.

Hanukkah had come and gone earlier in the month. Hiram and Leroy had never celebrated Christmas, but were making an exception this year. Heidi Schumacher, Rachel's roommate from Germany was spending the holiday in Lima. Heidi was Lutheran and so far away from home, her boyfriend, and her parents. Carole insisted that the Berry family come over on Christmas Eve so Heidi wouldn't miss the holiday too. Carole and Burt had bought a large Balsam Christmas tree that smelled like the holidays.

Carole and Kurt were spending the day cooking while Burt added just a few more decorations to the front yard. Carole was sure that their house could be seen from outer space. Burt had gotten himself into a decorating war with the neighbors and at the moment he was losing.

Finn pulled up into his drive-way and saw Burt wresting with a light-up plastic sleigh and eight reindeer. The plastic Santa was MIA.

"Hey Burt, can I help you with that?" Finn offered his step-father as he climbed out of his truck.

"I could use some help. Every time I get Rudolph to light up, Dasher and Donner quit on me," Burt laughed handing Finn his volt meter.

"Burt, this place looks like Macy's Christmas parade had a pile up. We've never decorated like this before. What gives?"

"It's your mom's idea. Heidi's so far away from her home and family, but it's mainly for you," Burt paused from trying to untangle a mile of extension cords again.

"Me?" Finn asked confused.

"Your mom is afraid that you'll be deployed some place on the other side of the world next Christmas so she's been planning this one for months. She and Kurt are cooking enough food for the entire neighborhood right now."

"I hadn't thought about that. If they send me to Afghanistan next summer, I'll be there this time next year," Finn bit his lower lip.

"Well your mother has certainly thought about it. Finn, she seems all calm and cool on the outside, but she's worried to death about you on the inside. I hope that you have a good long talk with her before you have to leave for California. By the way, where were you last night? I know that you're a grown man, but that doesn't mean that we don't worry about you."

"I was with Rachel. We want to spend as much time together before I have to leave for desert training and she goes back to school. Once they deploy me overseas, I'll be gone for at least eleven months."

"I guess that you two have a lot to talk about now that you're engaged. I just want you to know that your mom and I are very proud of you two. You and Rachel were made for each other."

"Burt, how old were you when you and Kurt's mom were married," Finn asked his stepfather.

"We were both right out of high school. Her old man pitched a fit, her mom cried, and my parents didn't speak to us for awhile."

"So you eloped?" Finn asked playing with the hidden ring in his pocket.

"Yes, we did, and it was the best thing that we ever did," Burt confessed as he tried once more to get all of his eight reindeer to light up at the same time.

"Why do you say that? Your parents were all mad at you."

"We didn't know it at the time, but in ten years my Elizabeth would be dead from cancer. By getting married so young we had more time together and a great son too. Our first few years were tough, but I wouldn't trade that time for anything." As Burt finished speaking, he plugged in his eight reindeer again, and for once they all lit up.

"Yeah, you did it," Finn cheered as all eight reindeer lite up before Prancer and Vixen decided it was their turn to quit.

"I give up," Burt sighed. "Santa will just have to make do with six plastic reindeer tonight."

"You tried, and that's all anyone can do," Finn laughed. "This place looks amazing even if all of the reindeer don't want to co-operate." 

Finn and Burt came through the kitchen door to be hit with some amazing smells.

"Wipe you feet or you'll be mopping!" Kurt admonished his father and step-brother.

"What are we having?" Finn asked while helping himself to a star-shaped cookie.

"Get your big paw out of those!" Kurt shrieked. Those are tradition German Zimtsterne cookies. I'm handling the German end of our feast and Carole is preparing a few traditional Hanukkah dishes for our guests."

"Are we having turkey and pot-roast?" Burt asked eyeing the meat on the counter.

"That's a goose," Carole said while giving her husband a quick kiss on the cheek. Kurt is preparing what he calls Weihnachtsgans or stuffed goose. The beef is for the traditional Jewish brisket that I'm preparing for the Berry's."

"Do we have anything American?" Finn asked looking at the simmering ingredients.

"There are corn flakes in the cabinet. You're too late for breakfast and we're skipping lunch. Where have you been anyway?" Carole asked her son.

"Where do you think?" Burt laughed. "He's been with his fiancé. The love birds have had a lot of catching up to do."

"Yeah, Rachel and I haven't seen each other in three months and we had a lot to talk about. You know about the wedding and stuff."

"I hope that was all you were doing," Carole smirked while preparing the potatoes for the Latkes. "I'm too young to be a grandmother."

"Carole, he's a Private First-Class in the United States Army. He's going to be deployed, and he needs to spend some time with his girl," Burt said while reaching for one of the star shaped cookies too.

"Mom, what was it like being here alone while Dad was in Desert Storm?" Finn asked his mom.

"It was tough. He was in combat in Iraq, but I had you and your grandparents. I think I spent some nights just rocking you all night long for comfort while you slept in my arms," Carole weakly smiled at her son.

"I'm glad that I could help," Finn smiled back at his mom.

"If you three don't stop this adventure down memory lane, we're never going to finish out multi-cultural feast in time," Kurt scolded.

"I'd like to help, but I'm taking Rachel and Heidi out for lunch. We have some last minute shopping to do and I need to find some more clothes that fit," Finn joked while grabbing another one of Kurt's star shaped cookies.

Finn showered and shaved while Carole had his clothing in the washer. He was soon redressed and out the door heading back to the Berry house. Rachel saw him pull up in the drive-way and met him at his truck.

"Hello again, Mrs. Hudson" Finn whispered in her ear before he kissed her.

"Well hello yourself, Mr. Hudson. I've missed my husband all morning. How are things at your house? Do they suspect anything?"

"I did remember to get my wedding ring out of my pants pocket before Mom washed them. Mom and Burt wanted to know where I was at last night, but they are too busy cooking and trying to hook up plastic reindeer."

"What? We're having reindeer for dinner?" Rachel asked confused.

"No we're having some multi-cultural stuff that Kurt dreamed up. Burt's trying to out do the neighbors with Christmas decorations, but his plastic reindeer aren't co-operating. Are you and Heidi ready to go?"

"I am, but Heidi's feeling like a fifth wheel again. I had to beg her to come shopping with us. She doesn't have a lot of money."

"Well neither do we, but we can let her experience American Christmas Chaos." Finn laughed as Heidi came out the front door and joined them.

"Are you sure that you two don't want to be alone?" Heidi asked as she approached the truck.

"No, we want you to come with us, and thank you for waking us up this morning before my dads found us."

"It was not a problem. I couldn't sleep anyway," Heidi smiled at her roommate.

"Were we that noisy?" Rachel blushed.

Heidi only rolled her eyes.

-/-

That evening everyone gathered at the Hummel-Hudson home for dinner.

Heidi was stunned that Kurt had gone to all the trouble to recreate a traditional German Christmas meal.

"It's Christmas, and we know that you're missing your family and Germany. I just wanted this to feel a little bit like home."

"And since Rachel missed Hanukkah with her dads, I've tried to fix a few Jewish dishes for the Berry's. After Finn and Rachel are married, we're going to have a blended family so now is a good time to start," Carole smiled as they all sat down to eat.

After dinner they all gathered around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts.

"Dad, neither Rachel, Finn, Heidi, nor myself have much money so I hope that you understand that our gifts are kind of small this year," Kurt offered embarrassed.

"Just having all of you young people here with us is more than enough," Hiram said as he and Leroy carried in a small wooden chest and sat it by the tree.

"What's this?" Rachel asked. "What are you doing with Grandma Berry's chest?"

"It was my mother's hope chest. She brought it with her from the old country," Hiram said proudly. "As you are now engaged, I know that she would want you to have it as you prepare for your marriage. Open it."

Inside Rachel found an antique home-made quilt.

"It's the double wedding ring pattern. My mother is South Carolina made it for you when you were just a baby. She said to give it to you as a wedding present from her when the time came," Leroy said softly.

"But Grandma has been gone for years."

"Gone, but not forgotten," Leroy felt himself tearing up. "I have been hanging onto this quilt for years for this occasion. She loved you so much. I can feel her presence with every stitch of that quilt."

Rachel ran her fingers over the fine, even hand-stitching. "I can feel her too. She's here with us now. I can feel her," Rachel sobbed as she hugged Hiram and them Leroy.

"This is a happy occasion, we didn't mean for all the tears," Hiram interrupted. "We're all here together under one roof. Leroy and I are not losing a daughter, we are gaining a son. This is a time for celebration!"

"Here, here," Carole added. I've been blessed by having the most wonderful son that I could have ever asked for. When Finn and Rachel are married, I'll have the most perfect daughter."

Rachel and Finn said nothing but squeezed each other's hands as the merriment continued. Presents continued to be exchanged and soon the floor was covered with wrapping paper and opened boxes.

Finn had received several shirts, prepaid calling cards, and enough sun screen and bug repellant for his whole platoon. Kurt had even given him a scorpion and snake bite kit.

As the fun around the tree was winding down, Finn looked at Rachel and she gave him a small nod.

"Mom, Burt, Mr. and Mr. Berry. I just want to thank all of you for being such great parents and supporting all of us the way you do.

"Kurt, you're the best brother that I could ever imagine. Rachel and I want to thank all of you for being there for both of us."

"Burt, you said that you were glad that you and Kurt's mom were married as young as you were, because it gave you more time to be together since her time was cut short."

"Mom, I'm glad that you and I have Kurt and Burt to share our lives with, but I know how much you have always wanted a daughter. Kurt is close, but just not the same," Finn laughed poking Kurt in the ribs with his elbow.

"What I'm trying to say is that none of us know where we will be this time next year. Rachel and I have been separated for the last six months, and I have desert training and at least two deployments ahead of me. She has two and a half more years of school."

"Everyday that we are separated is one more day that we won't have together. I hope all of you understand, but Rachel and I went ahead and were married yesterday."

The room was silent for a split second, "You are married? We thought you were going to have a long engagement and a big wedding," Hiram finally said.

"Yes Dad, we're married. I wanted to be Mrs. Finn Hudson before he leaves for Afghanistan. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. I just want to have a few todays with my husband before he has to leave. We've come so close to being married before, I didn't want to leave anything to chance."

"What about your big wedding? We've been planning it for years," Leroy asked.

"What's important is that Finn and I are together. Big wedding of Justice of the Peace, we're still just as married. I didn't want to waste any more time."

"I just wish that we could have been there. It's not everyday that our baby girl gets married."

"We can still have a reception if that's what you and Dad want. New Years Eve. We can have a reception and a New Years Eve party. All of our friends should still be here."

Carole and Burt had said nothing, but then Carole spoke. "That sounds like a great idea. We've got a lot to celebrate. I finally have the daughter that I've always wanted."

"Us too, Leroy and I have never had a son. Welcome to the family Finn," Hiram said offering Finn his hand.

"You're not mad?" Finn asked his two father-in-laws.

"A bit disappointed that we missed your big event, but if our baby's happy, then we're happy. And you do make her happy." Leroy said as he shook Finn's hand.

-/- Thank you for all the reviews and to the people who added my story to your favorites list. I appreciate it so much! Sincerely, Whistler Nights.


	21. Chapter 21 Time is Fleeting

**Time is Fleeting – Chapter 21**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

Anyone who had said that the passing of time is a constant had never been in the Army. Returning soldiers had said that their deployments had passed excruciatingly slow. Even slower for the families that they had left behind. Finn's Christmas Exodus had flown by at the speed of light.

Finn had left Fort Jackson the third week of December with Puck and now it was the third week of January. So much had happened in four weeks. He had gone to New York to see Rachel and Kurt's recital. He had proposed to Rachel at Rockefeller Center by the giant Christmas tree and the ice skating rink. He still laughed at the thought of sneaking into Rachel's high security all girls dorm. High security was a joke! All it took to get by the dim witted security guards was a smile from a pretty girl and some Christmas cookies.

Their quickie wedding on the 23rd of December had been the best moment of his life. He was sure that Hiram and Leroy would have shot him and kicked Rachel out of the house when they told them their big news on Christmas Eve. The two men had been disappointed, but had helped him move some of his belongs over to their house that night. Rachel had a queen size bed, and he still had his twin bed at the Hummel/Hudson home. There was simply more room at the Berry house.

After a Chinese take-out dinner on Christmas Day, the newlyweds spent an awkward evening with Mr. and Mr. Berry before retiring to Rachel's room. Heidi had noticed the tension and had ducked out early with Kurt and Blaine to see the Christmas lights around town.

That night as he and Rachel climbed into her bed, Rachel put the brakes on any monkey business as she like to call it for the second night in a row.

"But why?" Finn whispered. "Everyone knows now that we're married, and monkey business is what newlyweds do. I think they kind of expect it."

"I don't care, my dads are right around the corner, and I can't be comfortable knowing that they can hear every sound. They still think I was a virgin until our wedding night."

"We'll be super quiet," Finn promised.

"You know that we've never been quiet lovers." Rachel retorted as she kissed him on the cheek and rolled over.

The next day Finn was over at the Hummel/Hudson house helping Burt with his outdoor lights again.

"Well if it isn't the married man!" Burt greeted Finn as he drove up in the driveway.

"Hey Burt," Finn said half-heartily.

"What gives? You should be jumping for joy," Burt asked.

"Oh it's nothing. It's just this isn't how I had pictured my honeymoon." Finn grumbled.

"A honeymoon with the in-laws has got to be a bummer," Burt laughed.

"Hiram and Leroy aren't so bad. It's just Rachel refuses to 'you-know' with her dads in the next room."

"Oh, double bummer. Hiram and Leroy are always gone. Do they have any trips coming up?" Burt asked.

"Not anytime soon," Finn groaned while replacing a blown light bulb in Frosty the Snowman.

"Let me talk to your mother, and Hiram, and Leroy. I may have a solution to your problem," Burt smiled slyly at the new bride-groom.

Burt and Carole came over that night and talked to Hiram, Leroy, and their newly married children.

Good ole Burt, he always comes through in a pinch. Congress was in recess and there was an empty Senator Hummel apartment in Washington DC.

It was agreed. The parents would help with the airfare, and Burt would supply the Washington DC apartment.

"I'm sorry that it's not Paris, but Washington is beautiful this time of year. When Carole and I left there was already snow on the ground, and the whole city was decorated for Christmas," Burt reassured them.

"No, it'll be great!" Finn smiled. "I've never been to Washington, and there's a lot there that I would like to see. There shouldn't be a lot of tourist there this time of year."

Rachel and Finn started packing for their snowy honeymoon while everyone else was putting together a last minute reception for the newlyweds.

Every venue in Lima was already booked for New Year's Eve, so a last minute wedding reception was scheduled for December 28th at the Elk's Lodge. The newlyweds would take the red-eye for DC immediately after the reception.

Kurt and Blaine were on the phones, and almost all of their old friends were still in town for the holiday break. A few aunts, uncles, and cousins couldn't get a flight at short notice, but having the old gang together again was all that mattered to them.

Brittany and Santana came as a couple and gave them a generous check.

"I wanted to give you a kitten," Brittany confessed, but Santana talked me out of it. Lord Tubbington snuck out for a smoke a while back and now the neighbors are claiming that he knocked up their white Persian cat Fluffy. They want us to find homes for six grey kittens. Lord Tubbington can't be the father, because I haven't had 'the talk' with him yet. He doesn't know where kittens come from. I'm still working on his meth addiction, and I haven't gotten around to the birds and the bees yet. He would just eat the birds anyway."

"Brittany, I've told you can't take a kitten to Afghanistan. Santana whispered to Brittany while trying to change the subject.

"Congratulations Mrs. Hudson," Santana turned to address Rachel. "Brittany and I wish you every happiness with Mr. Chubs, but Finn has certainly slimmed down since he joined the Army."

"Santana, my husband is in fine shape and always has been," Rachel defended Finn.

"It's obvious that you make each other very happy, and if you're happy then I'm happy for you," Santana confessed.

Quinn had made it to the party, but was with a new guy that she had brought home from Yale. It pissed Puck off, but he made sure to give Heidi a lot of attention when Quinn was watching.

"I told you that Heidi has a boyfriend, a German Army boyfriend," Rachel reminded him.

"I know, you told me. It's just that Heidi doesn't know anyone else here except for Blaine and Kurt and they keep disappearing. I explained it to Heidi and she's cool with it. Who do you think is going to entertain her while you and lover boy are off in DC getting busy?" Puck asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought our parents, and Blaine, and Kurt were going to handle that?"

"Your parents have to work, and Blaine and Kurt only have time for each other. Don't worry; I'll handle the fraulein with kid gloves."

"I don't want you handling her at all," Rachel fumed at her Mohawked friend. "She already has one boyfriend in a combat zone, she certainly doesn't need two!"

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Mrs. Hudson. I do know how to treat a lady."

When the reception ended Rachel and Finn thanked their guests and headed for the airport and the midnight departure of their plane to Washington DC.

Rachel slept most of the way on Finn's shoulder, but Finn was too excited to sleep. As the plane approached the nation's capital, Finn was captivated by lights below them.

"Rachel wake up, we're landing soon. Fasten your seat belt."

"Are we here already," Rachel yawned. "The last time that I was in Washington was on an eighth grade school field trip."

"This isn't going to be a school field trip," Finn smiled and flashed his dimples at her wickedly.

Finn collected their luggage at baggage claim and then found a cab. Giving the address to the driver, they were soon on their way to the apartment.

When they finally reached the Hummel apartment it was nearing dawn. There weren't too many people out. A few garbage trucks were making their rounds, and a few people were walking their dogs.

"This is it! Finn grinned as he opened the door to the Hummel Washington, DC apartment. Our honeymoon begins! Wait Rachel, I've got to carry you over the threshold."

"Didn't you do that on our wedding night?" Rachel asked muffling another yawn. I just want to kick off these shoes and go back to sleep."

Inside they found the apartment to be cold and dark. Finn quickly adjusted the heat while Rachel made her way to the guest bedroom.

Over the next two and a half weeks, they spent most of their time in bed. When they did go out it was to walk around the capitol and see the sights. One afternoon they were walking around the Lincoln Memorial when Finn froze in his tracks.

"What it is?" Rachel asked looking up a Finn's stunned expression.

"It's the Viet Nam Memorial," Finn whispered.

Before them stretched a long black granite wall with the names of thousands of fallen servicemen and women engraved in the cold stone. Unlike the other memorials this one felt personal. Each soldier who had been killed in that conflict had their name frozen in time in the black stone. Along the base of the black wall their loved-ones had left messages, flowers, and American Flags.

"Finn is this too much?" Rachel asked.

"No, I want to pay my respects to my fellow servicemen and women." Finn said softly.

Finn removed his gloves and ran his fingers over the engraved names. "Rach, every one of these are names are someone's son, daughter, brother, husband, father. They served their country and died before they ever really had a chance to live."

"That's not going to be you Finn Hudson. You and I are going to get through this deployment to Afghanistan and you're coming back to me safe and sound."

Rachel pulled Finn away from the memorial and headed him in the direction of the apartment.

Finn said nothing all the way back to the apartment, but she could tell that his mind was a million miles away.

At the apartment, Finn didn't even bother to shower. He laid his clothes over a chair and crawled into bed. When Rachel returned from her bath he was wide awake staring at the ceiling.

"Finn, what's wrong?" Rachel asked. "You haven't said a word since we came back.

"Rach, I was thinking about all of the friends and family that the names on the Viet Nam Memorial Wall left behind. Most of them were the same age as me when they told their loved ones good bye."

"Think about all of those who made it back? That war ended forty years ago. Their kids are grown now."

"Rachel, for the first time I'm really scared."

"I am too. Your mom hasn't said it, but we've been on the phone almost every day since you left for Fort Jackson. She's scared too. But we have faith in you. When you're discharged you and I are going to move into that tiny little apartment in New York and start making babies."

"What about Broadway?" Finn asked as he pulled Rachel closer.

"You can hide a baby bump a long time under Glinda, Elphaba, or Nessarose's costumes," Rachel smiled as she engulfed his lips in a slow-burning kiss. For the rest of the night she was all his and he was all hers. The world outside was a million miles away.

The honeymoon wasn't long enough to suit either Finn or Rachel, but she had to be back in New York on January 14 and he had to report for duty at Fort Irwin on January 21.

It was a very sad goodbye at Washington's Dulles airport as Rachel left for New York and Finn flew to Lima for a few more days at home before he headed west for desert combat training.

From Lima Finn flew to Los Angeles and then onto Barstow, California where he would be meeting up with Puck. Puck had left a few days earlier to make a detour through Las Vegas.

Finn had an hour lay-over in Los Angles so he found a quiet spot to call Rachel.

"I'm in California Baby," Finn greeted Rachel when she answered the phone.

"Are you at Fort Irwin already?"

"No, I'm in LA; I'll be leaving for Barstow soon so I thought that I would give you a call while I wait. How are your classes going?"

"So far so good. I'm in Vocal Performance 102, and Introduction to Dance which is kicking my ass. But I do get to see Kurt almost every day. It helps having him here since I miss you so much."

"I miss you too. I'll be at Fort Irwin for four weeks and then I'll get a few weeks off before my next assignment. I'll be on the first plane to see you."

"I'm counting the days."

"Me too, but I've got to go. I'm on a puddle jumper to Barstow and they're calling my flight now. I love you."

"I love you too. Call me when you get to Barstow and don't forget to call your mom too."

Finn boarded the small commuter plane to Barstow and noticed that almost everyone on board was dressed either in Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine fatigues.

He took his seat by a fellow Army grunt. "Hi, I'm PFC Finn Hudson. Are you headed for Fort Irwin and desert combat training too?"

"Yeah, I'm PFC Jake Campbell. I don't remember seeing you at Fort Benning."

"That's because I did basic and AIT at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. My MOS is wheeled vehicle mechanic, what's yours?"

"I'm in military transport. I guess I'll be tearing up the equipment that you fix," Jake laughed.

"Just stick to tearing up tanks and half-tracks and we'll be okay," Finn joked back.

Finn's plane landed in Barstow before Puck had arrived. Following orders, Finn called the base to arrange for a van to pick them up. It was going to be a three hour wait for a van so Finn called his mother and then Rachel.

"So what have you heard about desert combat training?" Finn asked Jake after he had made his phone calls.

"I've heard that the second and third weeks will be the hardest. That's when we'll be in the box," Jake answered dryly.

"What have you heard about the box?" Finn asked.

"I've heard that we'll be living in small tents out in a terrain that could pass for Afghanistan. Our convoys will be subject to live fire and we can be hit by surprise attacks from Op-Fors at anytime of the day or night."

"What's Op-Fors?" Finn asked.

"They're former Iraq and Afghanistan citizens that are now living in this country. They dress, speak, and behave like they did in their former countries. The Army has hired them to be the Opposition Forces."

"Kind of like Hollywood actors?" Finn asked.

"No, they're for real Iraqis and Afghans. They're here to familiarize you with their cultural, customs, and language."

Finn was engrossed in what Jake was telling him when someone smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey lover boy, how was the honeymoon? Did Berry keep your family jewels under lock and key, or did she let you bring them along?"

"Puck, the honeymoon was great, just not long enough. How was Vegas?"

"Let's just say that Vegas is richer and I'm poorer. Who's your friend?"

"This is Jake Campbell; we're just swapping stories about what we've heard about 'the box' and desert combat training. He did basic at Fort Benning."

"Well, I'm just glad that we aren't doing this in the middle of the summer. I've heard that it can get up to 120 degrees there with sand, scorpions, snakes, and spiders," Puck smirked.

"No we're only going to be there in the middle of the winter, and it can get to 8 below at night while we're sleeping in little tents out in the desert. It's in Afghanistan where we'll be this summer with their heat, their scorpions and their snakes," Finn reminded his high school buddy.

"Oh, I hadn't thought about it that way. Tell me about the honeymoon, I want details," Puck asked with a smile that went from ear to ear.

"Puck, it was great. We saw a lot of the Washington sights, but spent most of the time in bed."

"I bet you did," Puck smirked. "Did Berry wear you out?"

"We did more than that. Some afternoons we cuddled in bed and watched old movies or just talked. Why am I telling you this?" Finn suddenly stopped himself.

Puck was laughing when an announcement came over the intercom that several vans from Fort Irwin had arrived. All waiting personnel should report to the van immediately.

The caravan of vans rumbled north-east into the high desert of the Mojave. In those 37 miles their surroundings morphed into what could easily pass for Afghanistan.

Stepping off of the vans they were hit with temperatures that were hot for the middle of January. The air was dry and the sand went on forever. Sergeants and Warrant Officers shouted orders and insults at them as they quickly fell into formation.

Finn and Puck were standing with soldiers from every branch of the service as one particular Sergeant stepped forward. It was hard to determine his age as his skin was baked to what resembled cracked leather. His voice was loud, harsh, and showed no sign of compassion.

"Welcome to the United States National Training Center here at Fort Irwin, California or as I like to call it, Welcome to Hell."

-/-

Until the next chapter, thank you for the reviews and to those of you who have added my story to your favorites list. Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	22. Chapter 22 From the Dust Bowl to The Box

**From the Dust Bowl to The Box – Chapter 22**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. All names are fictitious and appear only as a coincidence.)

-/-

It didn't feel that hot for California for January but as Finn stood in formation trying to listen to Sergeant Major Carter yell at them, he could feel the sweat trickle down his neck from under his helmet. Maybe it was the fifty pound pack on his back. Maybe it was the dummy M-16 in his hands. Maybe it was just nerves. Chancing a glance sideways at Puck, sweat was making its way down his temple onto his cheek too.

"Hudson, are you listening to me?" barked the Sergeant Major in Finn's face.

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Finn answered jolted back to attention.

"Boy, what we're trying to teach you here, will save your life, or do you need to go back to whatever corn field you came from?"

"Sir, No Sir!"

The Sergeant Major seemed to be satisfied with Finn's answer as he made his way further down the line.

He, Puck and several bus loads of soldiers from their unit and others had arrived at Fort Irwin the day before. The two of them had been processed through Reception late and received their assignments near the end.

Their encampment at Fort Irwin was called Rotational Unit Bivouacs or "The Dust Bowl" by the men and women. Judging from the amount of dust that the trucks kicked up, the name was right. Finn and Puck were assigned two of the last remaining cots in a sixty man tent. Their cots were too far from the door for any breeze that might give them some relief from the smell of too many bodies in too small a space.

Finn's cot was the regulation six feet, leaving three inches of him hanging off the end. The military issue sleeping smelled like faint body odor, and it had sand in it. It also wasn't long enough for his six foot, three inch frame.

Finn shook the sleeping bag out to make sure that no scorpions or spiders were stole-a-ways looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Crawling into the bag the first night, it was barely long enough to cover his shoulders. Before dawn the temperature had dropped to near freezing. It had been a miserable night.

Dinner the night before and breakfast hadn't been much better. The meals were prepared in concrete block buildings, and they had to eat outside in open-air shelters. If the wind was blowing the food had dust in it.

Now Sergeant Major Carter had moved further down the line and was screaming in another soldier's ear. Standing at ease, Finn looked out on the landscape. There was sand for miles. No grassy fields like Ohio and no tall stands of pines like South Carolina. The only vegetation was a scrub cactus here and there.

The Sergeant Major continued to yell as he passed up and down the lines of soldiers standing in formation.

"Ladies and Gentleman, in Afghanistan you'll be facing an enemy that doesn't wear a uniform to identify themselves. They don't adhere to any rules of engagement. They don't recognize the Geneva Convention Rules of War. A prisoner of war is as good as dead."

"You could pass an insurgent on the streets and not be aware of their presence. They dress like the locals. They use women and children as soldiers and shields. Their favorite forms of attack are the hit and run and suicide bombers. This is a jihad or holy war to them. To die in battle is the highest form of glory. They're accustomed to the severe climate changes and can blend in and disappear before your very eyes."

"Desert Combat Training will help prepare you for the terrain, and the temperature changes. Most of you will arrive in Afghanistan during the hottest months of the year. In the summer the temperature can reach 100 degrees before 9AM and 120 degrees by noon. You can't drink enough water."

"Before your eleven months are up, you'll experience the Afghan winter. In the winter the temperature drops quickly after the sun goes down. Eight below zero is not unheard of and frost bite is a real threat."

"This week we will concentrate on tactical planning, vehicle prep, and technical training. We will also try to acquaint you with the culture."

"Afghanistan is a Muslim country. We're dependant on staying in the good graces of the locals for intelligence. You may not agree with their beliefs or culture, but we won't disrespect them either."

"You may have noticed that we have many Afghan and Iraqi personnel on base that have left their own countries and are living here. No, they aren't Hollywood actors. The Army hires them as part of our OpFors or Opposition Forces. They're here to familiarize you with the Afghan culture, language, dress, and behavior. In The Box, several Afghan looking villages have been set up complete with civilians, Mosques, hotels vendors, and insurgents."

"The bulk of the OpFors are the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment. Also known as The Black Horse Calvary. They are based at Fort Irwin. They do this with as many as ten to twelve rotations a year. They're combat ready, have expert tactics and knowledge, and are a superior fighting force than you."

"Starting next week you'll be spending two weeks in The Box. You'll travel by convoy to this area in the high desert where we have tried to duplicate what you'll be facing in Afghanistan. This is a live-fire exercise, and yes, we have had our soldiers shot by friendly fire. You can expect to be ambushed anytime during the day or night by OpFors. You'll be sleeping in make-shift campsites or even your trucks when you can."

"For the remainder of this week, you'll be unloading vehicles and equipment at the rail yard and making them combat ready."

"All transportation and wheeled vehicle mechanics will be pulling extra duty this week to get your vehicles ready."

"I hope that you haven't enjoyed your Christmas Exodus with too much pumpkin pie and potatoes and gravy, because we're starting this morning with a five mile run in full combat gear. I hope you filled your canteens. Do you have any questions?"

"After surviving basic and AIT training even Puck knew that when a drill sergeant asked if there were any questions, it was best not to have any."

The run was brutal. Puck and Finn had been on many longer runs back at Fort Jackson, but never with fifty pound packs, flack jackets, helmets and dummy rifles that weighed as much as the real thing. The soft sand also made it that much more difficult.

Nearing the end of the run, Puck was winded, but Finn fell back. He was bent double holding his sides.

"Are you okay?" Puck asked as Finn hurled the last of his

breakfast into the sand.

"I don't know," Finn heaved deeply trying to catch his breath.

"I'm not leaving you behind. We're almost there. Just think of it as running the last 20 yards for a touch down. Think of how you're going to feel when you cross the goal line."

Puck pulled Finn up from where he had been down on his knees and continued to coax Finn along until they had completed the five mile run.

After Sergeant Major Carter had dismissed them for lunch, it took everything Finn had to make it back to his cot in the tent without hurling.

"Thanks Puck, I owe you one. Finn managed to say between panted breaths.

"No worries," Puck smirked as he handed Finn more water.

"Puck, I am worried. This is our first day of training here, and I wouldn't have made it through our first run without you. What am I going to do when its 120 degrees in Afghanistan?"

"You're just out of shape from your mom's Christmas cooking and all of your rack time with Rachel. You'll be back up to fighting strength in no time. Now let's go get some lunch before its all gone," Puck suggested.

"I don't think I can keep anything down. You go ahead and eat. I'm just going to rest here for now."

"You need to eat. You heard the Sergeant Major say that the wheeled vehicle mechanics will be working over-time getting our vehicles ready. We have to attach turret guns to the MRAPS and Humvees and beef up the armor plating."

"The transportation guys have to get the trucks off of the rail cars first. If I feel better I'll join you in a few minutes."

Puck headed off to lunch solo. When he came back to check on Finn he was sound asleep.

"Let's go Buddy. We have to assemble at the rail yard at thirteen hundred hours. I brought a protein bar and a cold bottle of water for you. Are you feeling any better?"

"Thanks Puck. Yeah, my little nap helped. I didn't get much sleep last night. Thanks for the protein bar."

"You're welcome. You didn't miss anything by skipping lunch. Makes me miss the lunch ladies back at McKinley," Puck laughed as he pulled Finn up.

The rail yard was a mass of activity as the trucks, Humvees, and MRAPs were unloaded. After receiving their instructions, the equipment was driven to a staging yard and the work to make them combat ready was begun. It was a long afternoon working in the sun, but at least the temperature remained around 50 degrees.

The work on the equipment took most of the week. Finn and Puck's unit was almost all MOS 91Bs so the bulk of the work fell on them.

By the seventh day the men and women, vehicles and equipment were ready to go. They were given the order to Saddle Up. They were leaving the Dust Bowl behind and heading for The Box.

Their convoy had only gone a dozen miles and everyone was resting and enjoying the ride when what sounded like a land mine exploded under one of the lead trucks. No sooner had the explosion gotten everyone attention when all hell broke lose on both sides of the convoy.

"What'll we do?" Finn asked Puck. "We can't fire back; we don't have any bullets."

"I don't know, duck and cover sounds good to me."

It felt like forever, but soon the roar of two Black Hawk helicopters could be heard strafing both sides of the convoy before the OpFor's attack stopped.

A major from one the trucks appeared and was yelling, "Formation."

"Troops, you have just experienced a simulation of what happens in Afghanistan on a regular basis. Convoys are a prime target for the insurgents. Landmines or RPGs disable the trucks and the attack begins. More times than not a Black Hawk won't be standing by to save your asses."

"We'll continue on to The Box where we'll have After Action Reports by unit commanders."

Once the convoy was underway again, Puck turned to Finn and whispered, "Did you check your pants? That scared me shitless."

Finn shook his head, but didn't say anything as the convoy rambled higher into the desert toward their destination. He tugged his helmet strap tighter and climbed up to man the turret gun on top of their MRAP. The gun wasn't loaded, but Finn didn't want to be taken off guard again.

-/- Until the next chapter, thank you for the reviews and for adding my story to your alerts list

MRAP = Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle

RPG = Rocket Propelled Grenade

MOS = Military Occupation Specialist

91B = Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic


	23. Chapter 23 Inside The Box

**Inside the Box – Chapter 23**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. All names appear by coincidence.)

Sitting behind the turret gun, Finn saw "The Box" before anyone else in his MRAP did. Steep mountain ridges, rugged terrain, and sand. The Army had built what looked like the Afghan villages that he had seen in the Army videos. They passed one of then on their way to a remote campsite.

"Dismount!" A chief warrant officer was yelling as he made his way up and down the convoy. "Nightfall is coming. I want to see all tents up and ready before dark!"

Finn jumped down and was helping the men in his platoon unload tents and the camo netting that went over them. By nightfall Puck and Finn had their tent ready. They would be sleeping on the ground, but Finn had managed to procure an extra sleeping bag from supply. He slept in one, and pulled the other one over his shoulders and head.

Dinner that night was MRE's. According to the label, Finn's was roast beef, gravy and mashed potatoes. What he got seemed to be 90% gravy. It was all mixed together in a grayish goo. Puck's was marked spaghetti with meat sauce.

Peering down into the pack, Puck almost threw his away. "At least I know what it's going to look like when it hits my stomach and comes back up." Puck tried to joke.

The list for that night's guard duty had been posted and Finn had pulled the ten to midnight watch with another private named Ezekiel Hernandez.

As Finn put on his warmest clothes he looked over at Puck who was already in his sleeping bag for warmth. "You can use my extra sleeping back until I get back at midnight," Finn offered.

"You just want me to get it warmed up for you. When you get back here, I'm going to be wrapped up so tightly in it you won't be able to get it away from me."

"No, you'll just know what a giant Yo-yo feels like when I unwind you." Finn groaned as he pulled on an extra pair of socks and a toboggan under his helmet.

The wind was howling when Finn met up with Pvt. Hernandez at the perimeter of their encampment.

"Hi, I'm PFC Finn Hudson," Finn introduced himself. "I don't remember seeing you at Fort Jackson."

"That's because I wasn't at Fort Jackson, I'm from Fort Hood in Texas. I'm PFC Ezekiel Hernandez, but my friends call me E-Z."

"I'm not going to tell you what my friends call me," Finn mumbled remembering that Santana called him Finnessa. "What's your specialty?"

"I'm Military Transport. Where are you from?"

"I'm from a little town in Ohio that you've probably never heard of. It's called Lima."

"Do you grow a lot of lima beans there?" E-Z asked turning his back to the freezing wind.

"Not that many. What did you think of the OpFor's attack this afternoon?"

"It scared me to death. I hope that they don't plan another attack tonight, I'm still not over the last one," E-Z shivered.

"I don't think so, when our sergeant was handing out guard duty details, he said to be on the look out for OpFors

planting land mines around our encampment. He said if he stepped on one in the morning, all night guards would be running extra miles."

"Do you think they'll be using real land mines?" E-Z asked.

"Nah, they're using simulators. My sergeant said to be careful. The grenade simulators that they're using have as much fire power as two cherry bombs. Enough to blow your fingers off." Finn shivered.

It was a cold moonless night, and Finn had never seen so many stars. He was walking back and forth between his two assigned posts when he heard someone approach.

"Halt, who goes these? Advance and be recognized! Identify yourself!" Finn was shaking as he pointed his rifle at the approaching officer.

"It's just me," Captain Charlie McClaren. "I was in the convoy with you from Fort Irwin. I was just out for a smoke and to take a leak. You know us old guys. We can't go for long."

"Our sergeant didn't tell us anything. He just handed me a rifle loaded with paint tipped SEMI's and told me to not leave my post until I was relived by the next guard."

"Well Private, I can tell you that if the OpFors are planting land mines tonight, you're not going to see them."

"Sir?" Finn stammered.

"I've been watching you for the last five minutes, and you've seen more of the stars than you have of a potential enemy. Hell, if I hadn't made any noise, I could've probably walked right by you. What's up there that's so damn interesting?"

"I'm sorry sir," Finn stammered again. "I was just trying to find my star?"

"You own a star?"

"Not really, I just had it named after me, and gave it to my girlfriend, I mean my wife."

"You didn't name it after her?" The captain asked.

"No, my wife already is a star. I mean she's going to be. She's going to be the biggest star on Broadway."

"That's mighty optimistic of you young man. I hope that your wife makes it. But in the mean time you need to be alert for the OpFors. I know a lot of you think this is all fun and games with the simulators and all, but we're trying to prepare you for the real thing with these war games."

"Sir, yes Sir," Finn saluted.

"You don't have to salute me in the middle of the freezing night on my way to the cat hole. You might shoot yourself," the old solider grunted. "What's your wife's name? I might take the Misses to a show in New York after I retire from this young man's game."

"Her stage name is Rachel Berry. Her new name is Rachel Hudson. We just had our one month anniversary, but I wasn't there to celebrate it with her. I was here."

"Son, you're going to miss a lot of birthdays and anniversaries in this man's Army, but don't ever forget your loved-ones. As lonely as you are out here, it's lonelier for the ones at home. Me and the Misses have been married for over thirty years, and I've been career Army longer than that. She has handled everything at home by herself including raising our two boys."

"Thank you sir, I'll remember that."

"See that you do," Captain McClaren patted Finn on the shoulder, put out his cigarette, and disappeared into the night.

Finn's watch ended at midnight, and he returned to his tent expecting to find Puck or one of his other tent mates wrapped up in his extra sleeping bag.

Puck was sound asleep curled up in a tight ball for warmth, and both of Finn's sleeping bags were he had left them.

Finn crawled down into the first sleeping bag and pulled the second one over him willing himself to go to sleep, but it wasn't happening. He was cold to his bones and was shivering. The wind blew hard all night making his tent shake as much as he did. Finn was wide awake thinking. If he were in New York with Rachel, sleep wouldn't be a problem. He would just snuggled up closer to her, and the weather outside wouldn't matter. He fingered his wedding ring with his thumb just to make sure it was still there in the cold darkness.

Near dawn, he had dozed off an on. When reveille blew, he was as tired as he was when he went to bed.

After eating what sufficed for breakfast, they assembled in formation as the mine sweepers rounded the camp stirring up clouds of the chocking dust.

"Please don't be any land mine simulators," Finn prayed to himself. The sergeant had promised extra miles if the OpFors had gotten past the night guards and planted any mines around their encampment. Luckily none went off.

"At Ease!" shouted a major. "I hope all you had a good night's sleep, because today you're going to need it. Today we'll be heading into the mountains that you see behind me. The mountains in Afghanistan are riddled with caves and tunnels. The enemy can disappear into them and hide out forever. For today's operation, you'll be trailing a group of OpFors posing as the Taliban. They'll be ahead of you, and have the higher ground. Today both you and your opponents are armed with M4s. Your ammo will be the same. Paint tipped SIMI's. The color of the day is yellow. Kill shots will be to the head, neck, and upper torso. The goal is to familiarize you with terrain and conditions that are almost identical to the Afghan mountain ranges. This assault will continue until retreat is sounded, your platoon is wiped out, or the enemy is over-taken. Make sure that your canteens are topped off, and you have all of your equipment. Departure time is in one hour."

They marched double-time from their encampment to the base of the mountain before they began their assent.

The shale terrain was steep and the soil was loose and rocky. Every foothold seemed to slide out from under them as they fought to maintain their footing. They had only climbed about 300 vertical feet when the shooting began.

"Take cover, they've seen us!" The SIMI's bounced off the rocks before a corporal took the first hit.

"Damn! I thought we were using paint-balls!" The corporal wailed as he rubbed his leg over the knee.

Finn raised his head for a look and was immediately hit square in the top of his helmet.

"You're dead! That's a kill shot for sure! Drop back!" an instructor shouted at Finn.

"That's what you get for being too tall," Puck laughed before he took a hit in his arm.

"Son of a Bitch! Puck screamed grabbing his arm where yellow paint formed a splatter pattern across his bicep.

"You're not hurt! Circle round and see if you can take out one of them," the instructor yelled at Puck.

Finn threw up his hand to his friend and eased his way back down the mountain. The yellow paint dripped off of his helmet and down onto his nose adding insult to injury. He knew that as long as he lived he would never hear the last of this from Puck.

The mock battle continued for the next few hours. One by one Finn was joined at the base of the mountain by another "taken-out" solider. His guard duty buddy E-Z Hernandez joined him with yellow paint and a large bruise forming on the side of his neck.

Several hours into the attack one of the hit OpFors joined them.

"Looks like we got one," Finn laughed as the Middle Eastern dressed man joined them.

"Who got you?" E-Z asked.

"I don't know, you guys have got some crazy soldier up there. He's trying to be all cowboy."

"That's got to be Puck," Finn whispered to E-Z. "He plays football the same way."

At mid-afternoon, retreat was sounded. Finn's entire platoon along with the Taliban actors assembled at the base of the mountain. Everyone had bits of yellow paint on them especially Puck.

"Nobody hit you with a kill shot?" Finn asked Puck when he found his buddy.

"No but that doesn't mean that they didn't try. You're lucky that you got hit in the helmet. Those things hurt!"

Puck had been hit at least five times. Both arms and one leg showed signs of a hit.

The major who had addressed them early that morning stepped out of the group of officers and instructors.

"Grunts, this is a taste of what you'll be experiencing in Afghanistan. Except your enemy will be equipped with a lot more fire power than paint tipped SIMI's and M4's. The opponent who has the higher ground always has the advantage. The opponent who is familiar with the terrain and the climate always has the advantage. Your job is to over come. I don't know which one of you took out the only Taliban actor today, but that was one hell of a shot."

"That would be this one," a sergeant said as he pushed Puck to the front to where the major was standing.

"Son, keep that up, and I'll be recommending you to sniper school. What's your name young man?"

"PFC Noah Puckerman Sir."

"I'll keep you in mind," the major said as he dismissed the men for their march back to their encampment.

"So the major is going to keep you in mind –huh? First day out and you're already the teacher's pet," Finn joked with Puck as they jogged back to camp.

"It was just a lucky shot. The dude stood up to stretch, and I took the shot. Won't happen again."

"I hope it does. Having a battle buddy who can shoot and fix a truck is a good thing to have."

-/-

That night at camp everything was quiet. Neither Puck nor Finn was picked for guard duty. The wind picked up to a roar around mid-night and didn't let up until the afternoon of the next day.

That afternoon it looked like it had snowed on the tent encampment except it wasn't snow. It was sand. Sand had drifted everywhere and they had to dig out. Sand was in everything from their gear, to their guns, to their food. They spend the afternoon, evening, and into the night getting their camp livable again. Thank God the OpFors didn't pick now to attack them.

On the fifth morning of their encampment their morning formation was met with another officer barking orders at them.

"Today we're going to mount a surprise search and capture mission against the Afghan village that our convoy passed on the way in! It has been rumored that a high ranking Al Qaeda operative is hiding out there among the locals. The village will be populated with many civilians and insurgents. The suspect that we're after will be hiding among them along with his guards. This will be a house to house search and capture, and not a single civilian will be harmed. Is that clear? We'll take our vehicles to within three miles of the village and ease our way in from there. The color of the day is blue. Pack your gear and meet back here at nine hundred hours."

Puck was grumbling as he loaded his gear. "How are we supposed to know the civilians from Al Qaeda?" He said under his breath to Finn.

"I guess the enemy will be the ones pointing their guns at us."

The convoy approached the simulated village slowly, and stopped at the designated three mile mark. They had been very careful not to stir up too much dust or make too much noise. Fanning out, Puck was a little behind and to the left of Finn. Inching forward, Finn heard a thud behind him. Looking back, Puck was on the ground grabbing his ankle and wincing in pain.

"What'd you do?" Finn whispered going back for his friend.

"I stepped in a damn gopher hole. What does it look like? I think it's broken" Puck grimaced between clinched teeth. "Call for a medic."

A medic was on the way as Finn was unlacing Puck's boot.

"It's not broken, but we need to evacuate him back to the trucks. It looks like a bad sprain," the medic told Finn after he looked at Puck's ankle.

Finn helped the medic get Puck back to their MRAP.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Finn asked as they loaded Puck into the vehicle.

"You can't," the medic informed Finn. "You need to get back to your platoon as quickly as possible."

Finn caught up with the rest of their platoon just as they were about to enter the make-shift town. It had been populated with the Afghan and Iraqi OpFors that they had brought in from Fort Irwin. Kicking in the door of the first shop, Finn came face to face with a Middle Eastern woman and an older man. He pointed his rife at them as they raised her hands quickly.

"Friend or Foe?" Finn asked feeling his hands shaking.

"I am a friend," the woman said in broken English as Finn lowered his rifle. "But I'm not!" The older man shouted as he hit Finn in the arm with his blue paint tipped SIMI from his hidden weapon.

"You're hit," an instructor called out from the upper story.

Finn felt the embarrassment rise in his cheeks. The sting was sharper than he had expected.

"You're hit, but you're not out of the game," the instructor yelled down to Finn. "Regroup with your platoon and advance on down the street."

The platoon spread out and moved to the next building. It was occupied with what Finn thought were civilians. Finn was hesitant to raise his M4 so an instructor stepped in.

"I see that you have already been hit, but you can't go second guessing yourself. You must be ready to make the split second decisions. It could mean your life or the life of the soldier next to you."

Finn took a deep breath and already his head was starting to hurt. The blasts of gunfire and simulated grenades along with all the smoke grenades were getting to him.

In the next building Finn was bringing up the rear when he felt the several sharp stings as his legs were peppered with the paint tipped SIMI's. He had been hit many times while playing paint-ball with Puck, but the paint balls didn't sting like the SIMI's did.

By the end of the day, the guy playing the high ranking Al Qaeda operative had been captured, and Finn had been hit a dozen times. He was spattered with the blue paint and had a painful welt for every paint mark.

"We're sleeping in the trucks tonight," a commander yelled and motioned for everyone to head back to the area where the trucks were parked.

Finn found Puck relaxing in their MRAP with his ankle propped up and an instant-cold pack wrapped around it.

"Ha, Ha, look at you. How many times were you hit?" Puck laughed as he saw Finn with blue paint all over him.

"Too many times," Finn groaned as he pulled off his gear and examined the swelling welts on his arms and legs.

"Why didn't they just shoot you with the real thing?" Puck asked as he looked at the black and blue marks on Finn's arms.

"It would've probably been less painful," Finn winced as he ran his fingers over the bruised flesh. "Don't bother getting up; we're sleeping in the trucks tonight."

"But I didn't bring my toothbrush," Puck joked.

"I don't give the orders around here. At least the trucks will keep the wind off of us. It's probably MRE's for dinner again tonight. I'll go and get ours. Do you have any requests?" Finn asked.

"I don't think it matters. They all look, smell, and taste like the same thing to me."

"Road kill in a baggie," Finn grinned at his friend.

"Yeah, road kill that been ran over too many times," Puck laughed back.

After dinner the vehicles were huddled up and the guard duty roster was posted. As the sun went down the temperature began to drop quickly. The darker it became, the colder it got. The wind increased and Finn was glad that his name wasn't on the guard duty roster again.

The medic came by to check on Puck's ankle and cleared him for light duty the next day. The corpsman told Puck that the next day would be forward movement assault on the enemy. It would be a good idea if Puck volunteered to man the turret gun and ride out the assault in the MRAP. At least he wasn't going to be evacuated back to Fort Irwin.

With nothing else to do except wait until morning, everyone began to find a place to sleep.

No one really knew what time it was when the sound of shelling started. Finn and Puck both woke up to multiple rounds of rubber bullets bouncing off the sides of their MRAP.

"Not again!" Finn cursed. "I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since I've been here. What are they trying to do? Drive us insane before we ever get out of this fucking place?"

"Puck, man a gun port! You have more rounds than any of us. They're coming from the west!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Puck laughed as he took his position at a westward facing gun port. "I assume they're all bad guys since they're shooting at us!"

"Puck just aim and shoot! I'll reload for you!"

After about thirty minutes of nerve racking terror, the ambush stopped and the all-clear was sounded.

"How am I going to sleep after that?" Finn grumbled running his hands through his short hair.

"Buddy, you need to try. Your nerves are showing."

Morning finally arrived and the order was given for all wheeled vehicle mechanics to inspect and repair any damage to the trucks and get them underway as quickly as possible. Out in the open they were sitting ducks. Two repaired flat tires later and the convoy was ready to roll.

True to the corpsman's words, they were mounting a forward movement assault. This time it would be a little different. Fly boys from the near by Miramar Naval Air Station would be giving aerial support. The planes would "plow the road" in advance of their convoy on the ground.

Puck was in awe as the fighters roared over head and began their strafing runs ahead of them.

"Top Gun, Baby! We're in the wrong business!" Puck shouted to Finn as he waved at the jets overhead.

By the end of the day everyone was exhausted, and ready to head back to their encampment. It was all Finn could do to keep his eyes open as the commanders gave their After-Action reports. That night Finn slept. He was so cold, but they didn't seem to matter.

The following day was peaceful. They had survived a convoy attack, two forward movements into the mountains and a simulated village, an ambush, and a mounted attack on the enemy. Equipment was cleaned, repaired. Their time in "The Box" was over and everyone was glad to be loading up and heading back to Fort Irwin.

The fourth and final week at Fort Irwin was busy with the rail cars being loaded with the trucks and equipment that had accompanied the soldiers from the bases that they were assigned to. Everything was cleaned and made ready for the next rotation. At the final formation advanced orders were given out.

Almost everyone was returning to the bases where they had trained. A few transfers had been granted. Fort Jackson was so far away that both Puck and Finn had requested a transfer but really didn't expect to get it.

A lieutenant was handing out the assignments to the men standing in morning formation when he paused at Finn's name.

"PFC Hudson. Yours and PFC Puckerman's request for transfer from Fort Jackson has been approved. You'll be based at Fort Hamilton instead. See your chief warrant officer for details and when you are to report."

Puck was grinning, but Finn was smiling so big he could barely stand still.

E-Z dared to break formation and leaned over to Finn and whispered, "Where's Fort Hamilton?"

"Brooklyn, New York," Finn whispered back.

-/- My apologies to the military for inaccuracies. I have never been in "The Box" so I had to do some research before I wrote this chapter.

Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	24. A Life Time of Memories or Regrets

**A Lifetime of Memories or Regrets – Chapter 24**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. Names appear by coincidence only. **Smut** warning for this chapter.)

"I'm sorry to call you in the middle of the night, but I'm heading home Baby!" Finn yelled into the phone at the Barstow, California airport. The noise at the airport was so loud, Finn was yelling to be heard. His rotation was heading out and a new one was trickling in. He held one finger in his other ear trying to hear Rachel's voice.

"You're heading to Lima?" Rachel asked loudly trying to hear Finn and wake herself up.

"No, I'm flying to LA and then to New York."

"You're coming to visit me?" Rachel squealed with excitement. "I thought that you had to report back to Fort Jackson as soon as you finished desert combat training."

"That's the good news. Puck and I have been reassigned. We're heading for Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn."

"Oh Finn I can't believe it! When will you get here? I'll meet you at the airport!"

"Puck and I should land at JFK around noon if everything is on time. But don't you have classes?"

"To heck with my classes. Wild horses couldn't keep me away for seeing you!"

"I'll call you with my flight and gate numbers when I get to LA. I gotta go; they're boarding my flight now. I love you so much Mrs. Hudson."

"I love you too, Mr. Hudson. See you soon." Rachel heard the other end of the conversation go dead.

"Kurt!" Rachel's screamed into her phone. "You're never going to believe this. Finn and Puck have been reassigned to Fort Hamilton. They're on their way to New York now. He's going to be here by noon. I'm going to meet him at JFK. What am I going to wear?"

"Wait, wait Rachel. Catch your breath. Tell me what he said."

"He said that the good news is that he and Puck were reassigned from Fort Jackson to Fort Hamilton. He and Puck are on their way here now."

"And what's the bad news?" Kurt asked.

"What do you mean? What bad news?"

"Normally when someone says the good news is-, it's usually followed by the bad news," Kurt sighed realizing that he had just burst Rachel's bubble.

"No, he didn't say that there was any bad news, but he did cut the call off rather short since they were boarding his flight. But it was a very noisy airport. I could barely hear him."

"See, you probably just misunderstood him. I'll be over to see what you have in your closet that will knock Finn's socks off when he sees you," Kurt hurriedly changed the subject.

-/-

Rachel went to her only early morning class that day. It was History of American Theater, but she barely heard a word of it. When she got back out into the hallway she checked her cell phone. On it was a text from Puck. "Finn's phone is dead. Meet us at JFK, 12:05 Gate B, USAir, Flight 575."

Rachel's mind was racing. It was already ten o'clock. Hurrying back to her dorm room, Kurt had laid out the perfect outfit for her to wear to the airport. Impatient, she was at JFK by 11:30. Checking the flight board, Flight 575 from LAX was on time. Pacing at baggage claim, the luggage came through before any passengers appeared. Among the suitcases were two Army duffle bags rounding the luggage carousel.

She was tugging at the one marked Finn Hudson when she heard a familiar voice, "May I help you with that?"

Turning around it really was Finn standing there with his half smile while Puck was standing behind him.

Time stopped for a second as the serviceman picked up the petite brunette a soul searing kiss.

"That's enough of that. Let me grab my bag before the ground crew throws it onto another flight," Puck interrupted the kiss.

"I've missed you so much," Finn whispered into her ear as he sat her back down on the floor.

"I've missed you too," Rachel choked unable to hold back the happy tears any longer.

Puck grabbed both of the duffle bags and managed to steer the glued at the hip couple to quieter corner of the baggage claim area.

"Finn, I'm so happy to see you, I can't believe that you're here, I have so many plans," Rachel rattled.

"Wait Rachel, I have to report to Fort Hamilton by six this evening. Puck and I have already worked out a plan. He's going to go to the base and tell them that the airline lost my luggage, and I'll report as soon as I find it. That'll give us at least four hours before I have to be on base."

"Rachel's face fell in disappointment. "Is that the bad news that you didn't tell me?"

"Huh? What?" Finn asked confused.

"You said the good news was that you were being reassigned to Fort Hamilton, but you never told me what the bad news was. Is that the bad news, because that's not so bad? We'll have the whole afternoon together, and I can get you in and out of my dorm before curfew."

Finn realized his omission and decided to wait to tell her the bad news until later. Puck called the base to arrange for a van to pick him up while Finn and Rachel found a cab and headed back to her dorm.

Riding in the back of a cab, they were all over each other making the cab driver uneasy.

"Excuse me, I realize that you are a serviceman," the driver said in a thick accent. "But there will be no fornicating in the backseat of my taxi."

The two broke their kiss in a fit of laugher. "Yes sir!" Finn laughed rubbing the lipstick from his month.

Finn paid the driver when they reached Rachel's dorm and pulled his duffle bag form the trunk.

"Is Heidi here this afternoon?" Finn asked as they made their way past the front desk and the afternoon receptionist.

"No she has classes and rehearsal. I won't see her until tonight. We have the suite to ourselves all afternoon. I even told Kurt to stay away."

"Good," Finn whispered. "I plan on making love to my wife all afternoon before I have to leave for the base."

When the elevator doors opened on the third floor, Rachel had his shirt unbuttoned, and he was caressing her breast under her clothing as they kissed.

Once inside Finn was pulling her toward her room in the suite.

"Wait," Rachel stopped him. "I have to make a quick trip to the bathroom."

"Can't it wait, because I can't?" Finn insisted.

"Just give me a second; I have to get my diaphragm."

Rachel ran into the bathroom and scrambled under the sink for the bag she had gotten at the pharmacy the week before. She quickly ripped the pharmacy bag open and tossed the bag and the directions aside. After all the doctor had told her to apply the spermicide before she used it. She didn't have time read about it now.

In her dorm room she found Finn waiting in her tiny twin bed for her. Words were not spoken, but the entire third floor must have figured out what had transpired.

Finn rolled off and was panting heavily as sweat trickled down between them. Suddenly he began to laugh.

"What's so funny? Was my performance that bad?" Rachel poked him in the ribs as she pulled the sheet over her exposed body.

"Your performance was everything I dreamed it would be. It just we're married, and we're sneaking around like we did in high school."

"We're not sneaking around. Everyone in the dorm knows that we're married because I told them. It's just we didn't have anywhere else to go unless you wanted to get a room at one of those places where you pay by the hour. The cabbie wouldn't let us do it in the backseat of his cab," Rachel scolded.

"Ah Rachel don't be mad. It just that we're married and we're doing it in a twin bed in a dorm room," Finn chuckled to himself anxious to change the subject. "When are you going to show me the diagram that you were talking about?"

"What diagram?" Rachel asked confused.

"You made me wait while you went to the bathroom to get a diagram."

"I said diaphragm, not diagram."

"What's a diaphragm?" Finn asked puzzled.

"Didn't they teach you anything in sex-ed class? A diaphragm is this little thing that keeps you from getting me pregnant."

"We wouldn't want that to happen, at least not now. You have school and your dreams, and I have my Army obligation. I thought you were on the pill," Finn looked at Rachel still puzzled.

"I was until you left for training. After I got back to New York I asked my doctor for something different. You were going to be gone for so long, and I didn't want to keep putting chemicals in my body."

"Back at McKinley, I had Coach Tanaka for sex-ed class, and he talked more about fantasy football than bedroom fantasies. Who did you have for sex-ed?"

"I had Coach Sue, and she talked about a lot more than I ever wanted to know," Rachel giggled.

Finn smiled wickedly and rolled on his side to face his wife. "Well how about you show me all the stuff that Coach Sue taught your sex-ed class, and I'll tell you all about my bedroom fantasies?"

Rachel raised a curious eyebrow at her husband before he smirked and began to kiss her neck and paw her body.

The afternoon passed too quickly and soon it was almost 4:00. They had spent the afternoon talking and cuddling when they weren't devouring each other.

Saying goodbye after Finn called a cab for the base, he finally got up the nerve to tell Rachel his bad news.

"Rach, I didn't want to spoil our afternoon, but I do have something to tell you? Do you remember this morning when I told you that I had some good news?"

"Uh huh," Rachel answered scared at what he was going to say next.

"Well the good new is that Puck and I are going to be based at Fort Hamilton. The bad news is that I'm going to be deployed to Afghanistan sooner rather than later."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked with fear in her voice.

"It seems that my new unit at Fort Hamilton is scheduled to deploy sooner than my old unit at Fort Jackson."

"How soon?"

"I'll be leaving in a few weeks, but I'll get some time off first. I plan on seeing Mom is DC, but I want to spend as much of my time as I can with you. Rachel please don't cry. Look at it this way, the quicker I deploy, the quicker I'll be back, and I'll be half an hour away at Fort Hamilton."

"Maybe the President can wrap this war up, and I won't have to be deployed a second time. We can see each other all the time until I'm discharged and you graduate."

"I just don't want you to go. Not now, not ever," Rachel fought back the tears.

"I know. I don't want to leave you either, but this will all be over soon I promise. I gotta go. I have to check in at the base before six. Hopefully they'll believe my lost luggage story. I love you."

Soon a cabbie was blowing his horn outside and Finn was gone. Rachel had held back her tears until he left. After a good cry she went to the bathroom for a shower and to remove her diaphragm. She laughed to herself when she remembered that Finn thought she was talking about a diagram.

Placing it back into the container, something on the directions caught her eye, "Reapply spermicide before every use."

"Oh no!" she thought to herself. Thinking back she and Finn had had sex three times that afternoon. Was one application good for the whole afternoon or should she have reapplied it two more times?

-/-

Thank you for the reading and for the reviews. Finn and Puck will be landing in Afghanistan in the next chapter. The next couple of chapters are going to be difficult to write. Please review! Thank you!


	25. Chapter 25 This Isn't Good Bye

**This Isn't Goodbye – Chapter 25**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. Names appear by coincidence.)

Finn had only been gone an hour when Rachel realized her mistake with the diaphragm. What should she do? Could she be pregnant? Finn would be in reception and processing at Fort Hamilton right now so she couldn't call him. Looking at the clock, Heidi would be in the practice rooms, and she always cut her phone off. Kurt! She could call Kurt!

Kurt was studying, but he would bring his books over and make time for his friend.

"How was your afternoon with Finn, or should I ask?" Kurt smirked as Rachel let him in.

"Kurt, my afternoon with Finn was amazing. It was so good to see him, and I'm glad that he's so close by, but I may have a problem."

"It sounds like everything should be perfect. You're in New York and your new husband's now only a few miles away."

"Kurt. You don't understand, I might be pregnant."

"What? You only saw him this afternoon for the first time in six weeks. How could you be pregnant?" Kurt gasp in surprise.

"Let's just say that I didn't read all of the instructions that came with my new birth control."

"Oh, I don't need details. It's only been a couple hours; you still have time for the morning after pill!"

"I've already looked that up on-line, and I don't think that's something I want to do."

"Rachel, are you serious? You're still only a freshman in college! You're in the school and the city of your dreams! Your husband is going to be deployed to God knows where! How are you going to raise a child?" What about Broadway? That's all you've ever wanted since you were five years old!" Kurt ranted around the room.

"I know and from what I read there's a very good chance that I'm not pregnant. It's way too early to tell. It's just Finn will be leaving for Afghanistan in three weeks. What if he doesn't come back?"

"Rachel you're not thinking this through. Finn's going to be in the motor pool at base camp fixing trucks. He's not going to be leading the charge against the enemy. Both of you are only nineteen."

"If I took the morning after pill, I would never know if I could have been pregnant or not. What if Finn gets killed? I would go through the rest of my life wondering if I had thrown away the only chance I had to have his child."

"Yes, and you would be raising a child alone. I've heard Carole say that raising Finn alone was the hardest thing she's ever done."

"And I've heard Carole say that Finn was the only thing that got her through it all after Finn's father died. Chris Hudson is dead, but she has something of him. Carole says she can see Chris in Finn's eyes. Your dad raised you alone."

"Rachel, you're jumping to conclusions. You're assuming that you're pregnant and Finn's not coming back. You're weighing your entire future against two unknown possibilities. Does Finn want to be a father at nineteen? Would he want to leave you with a child to raise in case he didn't come back? I think you need to talk to him instead of me."

"I can't, he's in the middle of reception and processing at Fort Hamilton right now. I just guess I'm working myself up over the unknown. We did use birth control, just not correctly."

"Rachel, that's way too much information! It sounds like you've already made your mind up against the morning after pill. So what are you going to do?"

"I should be getting my period any day now. If I'm late I'll take a pregnancy test then."

"Again, too much information, but it'll be too late for the morning after pill by then," Kurt reminded her.

"I know, but I think that's what I want to do."

"You know I think you're being unreasonable as usual."

"Yeah, you're right, but if it's meant to be, then it's meant to be."

"Do you want me to stay with you until Heidi comes home? You might change your mind. It won't be too late. Emergency Rooms are open 24 hours a day," Kurt offered.

"You know that I would love your company. Heidi won't get back from the rehearsal rooms until 10:30," Rachel smiled weakly at Kurt.

"Okay, it seems that you've made your mind up so I won't try to twist your arm. I brought my study notes, so I'll just wait with you until Heidi gets home."

When Heidi came through the door at 10:30 both Rachel and Kurt were asleep on the couch with their college work spread around them.

Rachel began to stir, and Heidi asked if she had gotten to see Finn. Kurt woke up, exchanged pleasantries and then excused himself to head back to his own dorm.

"It's late, and I've got an early class, call me if you need me," Kurt said giving Rachel a sympathetic look as he left.

Rachel didn't tell Heidi what she had told Kurt. For now there was really no point since she had decided against the morning after pill. She would wait to see if her period arrived on time and then she would make some decisions.

As she crawled into her bed that night, the sheets and pillow smelled like Finn. Clutching the pillow closer, she inhaled deeply wishing he were there with her. Deep down she knew Finn would probably agree with Kurt and not take the chance. But she was already beginning to fall in love with the idea of a baby that had Finn's dimples and his lop- sided smile.

Two mornings later she was relieved, but also the tiniest bit sad when her period had started. Realistically it was for the best, her brain knew that. But her heart also had envisioned a baby bump and having a baby with Finn. But this really wasn't the best time she thought to herself. Kurt had been anxiously waiting too, so she called him.

"Kurt, it was a false alarm. I got my period this morning."

"What?" Kurt yawned into the phone trying to wake himself. "That's good new, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's good news. I thought about what you said. It's just Finn's leaving so soon, and there's the possibility that he won't come back."

"Rachel, he could get hit by a bus tomorrow too. You've got to stop thinking about Finn dying, and start thinking about the day he's discharged and you've graduated."

"I know, it's just all this stuff, being a wife, being an Army wife is new to me. You've got to stand by me while he's deployed, other wise I'll probably loose my mind."

"You need to be strong for him. He can't dodge bullets and worry about you worrying about him at the same time."

"I thought you said that he was going to be safe and sound in the motor pool."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it that way. Finn's going to be very busy. You need to do the same. Talk to Carole and tell her what you're feeling. She's been there, she can help you."

"I want to, but she's as worried about Finn as I am. I don't want to be a burden to her too."

"I think it would do both of you a lot of good if you got through this together. All this is new to you, and now she going through it all over again. Carole doesn't show it, but Dad says that she's worried sick."

"As usual you always have the better ideas. I'll call Carole after I get back from class and she how she's doing."

-/-

Finn and Puck's final weeks in the States flew by. No sooner than they had gotten acquainted with their new unit than they were given two weeks off before deployment.

Puck went home to Lima to spend his time with his mom, sister and nana.

Finn made a quick trip to DC to see his mom and Burt, but every free moment that Rachel could spare from her classes and studies were spend with her.

They spent long afternoons seeing the sights of New York or just being together. One lazy afternoon she asked him what he thought about having a baby now.

"Rachel, if the timing was different, I would like nothing better than to have a houseful of children with you when we can provide for them, but right now isn't a good time. What brought this up?" Finn asked.

"I had a bit of a scare. Do you remember the afternoon when I picked you up at the airport and we spent the afternoon in my dorm room getting reacquainted?" Rachel asked as she gave Finn a shy smile.

"Yes, Baby I do. It was an amazing afternoon. What about it?" Finn asked.

"Well, we didn't exactly follow the birth control directions correctly."

"Rachel, are you pregnant?" Finn stammered in surprise.

"No, I'm not. I got my period a few days later, but for the moment I kind of liked the idea of a little Finn Hudson running around."

"Rach, you have your dreams and the city of New York laid out in front of you. I'm on my way to Afghanistan. Now isn't the best time. I'm glad that you're not pregnant."

"What if I had been?"

"We would have found a way to handle it, but we aren't ready to bring a baby into the world right now. It wouldn't have been fair to a baby."

"You're right, but it was a warm and fuzzy daydream."

"Baby, I want to have children with you, and if that's what you want, we'll start trying after I'm discharged. I promise. I just can't go off and fight in a war half a world away and leave you here to raise a baby alone. My mom did that, but it wasn't easy, especially after my dad died."

"That's my point, even though your dad died, your mom still had a part of him. She had you. She says that you're so much like him."

"Is that where all of this is coming from? Are you afraid that I'm not coming back?" Finn asked seriously.

Rachel only nodded as a small tear escaped her eye.

Finn wrapped his arm around her and pulled her chin so that she was facing him.

"I promise you. I'm going to do everything in my power to come back to you in one piece. Please don't worry. The Army trained me to be a diesel mechanic. I'm going to be fixing trucks. But you have to promise me that you aren't going to sit here and spend every minute worried sick."

"Okay, I'll try, but first you have to kiss me," Rachel tried to smile.

"I can do that," Finn smiled back before he caught her lips with his.

-/-

The day that Finn and Puck left for Afghanistan was the hardest one. Carole and Burt had flown in and Kurt and Blaine were there to see Finn and Puck off. Puck's mother and little sister were there tpp. His sister gave Puck a small American flag. Rachel had cried until her face was puffy and red.

Dozens of other servicemen and women were there as well. Husbands, wives, children, parents were all there doing the same thing. Saying good bye to the ones they loved.

"Please don't worry," Finn whispered in her ear as she hung on to him tightly.

Before one last kiss, Finn turned to Kurt and said, "I'm counting on you to look after her while I'm gone."

"Don't worry, I will. When Blaine moves to New York, we're going to look for an apartment that's big enough for all four of us."

"That's right, you're going to have a home waiting for you right her in New York," Rachel sniffed.

An officer in charge had waited as long as he could, but was announcing that it was now time to say good-bye and load the buses for the plane that awaited them.

"I'm not saying goodbye," Rachel stammered through her sobs. "I'm saying See You Soon."

"That's right. This isn't good bye. This I'm Coming Back," Finn was crying now too.

Rachel hung onto his fingers for as long as she could, but soon he was gone. She waved until the bus that carried he and Puck was long out of sight. Then she turned to Kurt as her knees buckled under her.

"Rachel, we're going to get through this together," Carole knelt beside her daughter-in-law. "Finn's coming back to us. I can feel it in my bones."

Burt, Blaine, and Kurt helped the two women to their waiting car.

"You're trying to comfort me. My husband just got on that bus, but what about you. Your son just got on that bus too," Rachel said between sobs to Carole.

"I know, but this is what he felt like he had to do. He's depending on us to be strong for him. Rachel can we do that? Can you and I be strong for Finn?" Carole asked her daughter-in-law.

"I can do anything for Finn," Rachel whispered back.

The scene was repeated on the bus and on the plane. Finn and Puck didn't cry, but they certainly felt like it. As the plane lifted off, every serviceman on the plane stretched for the windows for one last glimpse of America before there was nothing left but ocean.

Touching down in Europe that night to take on more fuel, Finn had gone to sleep somewhere over the Atlantic. His neck was stiff from the awkward position it had been in. It was still dark when the plane took off again. The next stop would be Kandahar, Afghanistan. They would be there by morning.

Until the next chapter, thank you for reading and reviewing.

Whistler Nights.


	26. Chapter 26 Kandahar

**Kandahar – Chapter 26**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. Names appear only by coincidence.)

Rachel spent the weekend after Finn left on Friday almost inconsolable. Burt and Carole were so worried about her they spent the weekend in New York instead of heading back to DC.

Finn had called on Sunday afternoon to tell everyone that he and Puck had arrived in Kandahar safely, but he didn't have time to talk. Rachel had put on a brave face while she was on the phone with Finn, but lost it again once the call ended.

On Monday morning she was up early getting ready for her classes. She was so bright and cheerful that it took Heidi off-guard.

"I've decided that I can't spend the next eleven months in a pit of doom. Finn wouldn't want that. I'm going to throw myself into my classes. Bury myself in the work and the time will fly by faster," she told Heidi as she hurried out the door.

Burt and Carole were relieved, but asked Kurt keep an eye on her just the same.

-/-

In Afghanistan, Finn really hadn't had time to think. He felt like he had already spent half of his deployment on the plane. When they landed his butt was numb, and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to straighten his legs again. They had landed late in the day, and reception and processing had taken forever. All Finn wanted to do was find his assigned barracks, take a shower, and sleep for like 24 hours. The jet lag was overwhelming.

He had slept for most of the plane trip, but was jolted awake on the approach to Kandahar International Air Base.

Looking out the window, their transport plane was being escorted in by two F-18s.

"Look, they must be glad to see us," Puck perked up. "They're giving us an honorary welcome."

The shaved head in the seat in front of them that they had been looking for the last 24 hours turned around to speak to Puck.

"Dude, this is my third deployment, and I can tell you that isn't an honorary escort. They're there to make sure some fool on the ground with a RPG launcher doesn't blow us out of the sky before we even land. There must have been some activity in the area."

"Welcome to Kandahar International Air Base," the pilot announced from the cock pit. "This is the largest air base in the world. You will notice that the air strip is also used by commercial fights. The base was built by the US in the 1960's during the Cold War in case we ever went to war with the Soviet Union. Since then it has been occupied by the Russians and was once the Taliban's Headquarters." Looking down Puck and Finn had to believe it was the largest air base in the world. This place went on forever.

Departing the monstrous C-5A took longer than they expected, but the reception battalion on the ground was working feverishly trying to get the soldiers sorted and on their way to their new home away from home.

Puck and Finn passed the massive motor pool on their way to their new barracks. Their barracks wasn't a tent like Fort Irwin, but a huge Quonset hut in a long row of Quonset huts instead. At least there was air-conditioning, but Puck and Finn were a long way from it. By the time the cool air reached them it was warm. But warm was better than the hot outside. It was only April and the dry desert heat was already noticeable.

Their first week was spent getting acquainted with the base, regulations, and where they would be working. The motor pool was bigger than anything they had ever seen, and the line of vehicles needing work seemed endless.

The base appeared safe enough even though it was a beehive of activity with every kind of vehicle and solider coming and going. The air field was also a NATO base, and was home to soldiers from every branch of the US military and soldiers from all allied countries.

Ten miles to the southeast was a different story. The citizens of Kandahar City were terrorized by the Taliban on almost a daily basis. Convoys to and from the city were a favorite target.

Puck and Finn were assigned to work in the motor pool under Commander Joseph P. Sullivan on their second Monday in Kandahar.

"At ease," Commander Sullivan barked as Finn and Puck stood in front of his desk waiting for their assignments.

"I've called you men in because I see that you are from the same town, and you've been together since your first day in basic training. That is rather odd that they haven't split you up before now. Can you explain that?" Commander Sullivan asked.

"Sir, Puck and I, I mean PFC Puckerman and I have known each other since grade school. Sergeant Sherman at Fort Jackson recommended that we stay together. We've been together so long; we can almost read each other's mind when it comes to fixing an engine."

"Is that so? Well, we'll see how well you work together. I'm assigning you to Sergeant Jed Ryker. You're to report directly to him. If you don't have any questions, you're dismissed."

Not really knowing where they were going, it took awhile for them to find Sergeant Ryker. He was up to his elbows in grease and was chewing out a corporal.

"It's about time you two daisies showed up! Commander Sullivan told me that I was getting two new mechanics. If you two are through sight-seeing, I have a shot-up M-ATV that needs a lot of work. Follow me and I'll give you the work order."

Walking down the line, Puck and Finn eventually identified the M-ATV that they had been assigned to work on. Finn jumped up to move it into the service bay that they had been assigned to when he stopped cold in his tracks.

Inside there was dried blood everywhere. The passenger side window had been blown out and it looked a grenade had gone off inside of it. In the back was a large pool of drying blood that engorged flies were feasting on.

"Finn come on, we don't have all day," Puck scolded Finn. "Start it up and get it into the bay."

"You've got to see this," Finn said almost under his breath to Puck as he stepped back down. He was as white as a ghost.

Puck jumped up instead to drive the M-ATV after Finn got down and was just as speechless when he saw what was inside.

"It looks like someone slaughtered a pig in here. I thought these things were supposed to protect you from attacks."

"Apparently not," Finn gagged as he felt his breakfast coming back up.

Finn puked into a trash can while Puck closed the door. The smell was over-powering.

When Finn's stomach had settled, he was sitting on the ground still dazed at the sight inside the M-ATV. "Do you think they saved that one for the new guys?" Finn asked Puck quietly.

"I don't know, but I'm going to go and find a pressure washer and wash out the inside before we get started. I just can't stand that smell," Puck gagged covering his mouth.

An hour later Puck had the inside bearable. The engine and transmission needed work. The body work would be done by someone else.

Finn didn't say much for the rest of the day, but worked seamlessly with Puck repairing the engine. That night they were lying in their bunks and Finn was still quiet.

"Are you okay Buddy?" Puck asked.

"I don't know. When we left Fort Irwin, I thought I was ready for this. But after seeing the inside of that M-ATV today, I don't know. I've been wondering about all of that blood. Who did it belong to? Did they survive? How did an M-ATV get that much damage on the inside?"

"You saw the window. It was blown out. Those things are attack resistant, not attack proof. We'll probably see more like that before out tour here is up."

"I just hope we can get that one fixed and out of here tomorrow. The whole thing just gave me the creeps."

Finn never told Rachel about the bloody M-ATV, but he never forgot about it either.

Kandahar Air Base was also used by commercial flights so many civilians were on the base too. Finn would look at them and wonder to himself, "Friend or Foe." He remember how he had been fooled back Fort Irwin his first day in "The Box."

The gate was guarded by Marines, but with so much coming and going at the gate, could an insurgent slip past? Finn got his answer one day when a huge blast shook the ground. Running out of his service bay, thick, black smoke was pouring into the sky from the direction of the main gate.

A suicide bomber had pulled his car up to the gate and blew himself up. Along with him he took two Marines and five civilians including one child. The base went on immediate lock-down.

"Rachel will probably see this on the news tonight; I better call her and tell her that we're okay."

Everyone else on the base had the same idea. When Finn finally reached her he woke her up. It was the middle of the night in New York.

"Rachel, it's me Finn. You haven't seen the news yet, but there was an attack at the gate here today. Puck and I are okay. Please call my mom and have her call Puck's mom."

"What? Rachel shouted trying to wake herself up. Are you okay?"

"Yes, Babe, I'm okay. Puck's okay. Just please call Mom and let them know that we're fine."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Two Marines and five civilians we're killed. It was a car bomb at the main gate."

"Oh God, I feel so sorry for their families. When is all of this killing going to stop? I just want you home so badly."

"I know, I want to be home with you too. We're one day closer to that day. You go back to sleep, but call Mom

before you go to class okay?"

"I promise I will, but I'm wide awake. Do you have time to talk?"

"For a few minutes, it's so good to hear your voice. How are your classes?"

"My classes are fine, how are you?"

"It's getting hotter here everyday. Puck and I are doing okay except for a few busted knuckles from stuck lug nuts. We're both homesick, but we're doing okay. I've got to go. They just sounded all clear so I have to get back to work. Babe, I love you. Coming home to you is what's getting me through every day here."

"I love you too. Our spring semester recitals are coming up the last of May. I still remember how you and Puck surprised us at our fall recitals. I want to look up at the balcony and see you there so bad."

"I'll be thinking of you the whole time. I know that you're going to be amazing. I love you. Bye."

Rachel heard her phone go dead as she pulled her covers back over her. She was wide awake now. She was grateful that Finn and Puck were okay, but imagined the families of the two Marines getting the news.

Finn's days at the motor pool began to melt one into the next. The line of MRAPs and M-ATV's vehicles needing repair never seemed to let up. All of sand reeked havoc on the engines, transmissions, fuel lines.

The base was huge, but he soon began to feel like a mouse in a cage. It was relatively safe inside the base, but just outside the gate there were people that he never met who were ready to die in order to kill him.

The convoys in and out of the base went in every direction. A convoy to Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City left almost daily with supplies.

The temperature in May was already reaching 101. One unbearable afternoon Sergeant Riker told Finn and Puck that he had a different assignment for them. He wanted them to grab a flat bed truck and go with the latest convoy to Camp Nathan Smith.

They had a truck there that needed work, and if they couldn't fix it on site to load it up and bring it back to base.

Finn was a little anxious, but Puck was ready to go. He wanted to get off of the base for a little while.

Before they left, they suited up in flack-jackets, helmets, M-16s and ammunition. Puck drove and Finn rode shot-gun.

The trip to Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City proved to be an uneventful one. Puck was singing some Lynyrd Skynyrd song as Finn kept a close watch on the terrain around them. They were following a MRAP with a manned turret gun on top.

"I don't think I'll ever need to go to the moon." Finn said between Puck's song selections.

"Why is that?' Puck asked as they bounced along.

"Just look around, this place looks like the surface of the moon. Craters and all."

"Those are bomb craters," Puck laughed before he started in on the chorus of _Sweet Home Alabama._

The convoy slowed as they reached Camp Nathan Smith. Villagers came out of their homes and waved to them. A small boy in a ragged Raider's shirt caught Puck's eye.

"Look at that kid. I had a shirt just like that when I was in middle school." Puck pointed out to Finn.

"Keep your eyes on the road. You're forgetting where we're at," Finn cautioned.

At Camp Nathan Smith they were greeted by a corporal who directed them in the direction of the ailing truck. The damage to the engine proved to be more than they could fix with the tools they had. With help the broken-down truck was winched onto the back of their truck and tied down.

"We'll be spending the night here," their convoy leader told them. "It's dark and no one travels after dark. Make yourself comfortable in your truck. We'll head back to base tomorrow morning at eight hundred hours."

At dawn Puck and Finn lined their flat bed truck up between two armed MRAPs.

The trip out of Kandahar City was moving slowly as they made their way out. It was hot, but still villagers ventured out of their homes to wave at the passing Army convoy.

The slow moving convoy suddenly came to a stop. "What's going on?" Finn complained loudly. "I just want to get out of this place and back to the base."

As their truck idled, waiting for the convoy to move again. Puck saw a woman carrying a small girl walking in their direction.

"Look Finn, that little girl has got to be the same age as Beth. Did you bring any candy with you?"

"No!" Finn screamed as Puck rolled down the window to hand the little girl a piece of peppermint.

Suddenly an object bounced on the floor of the truck around Puck's feet along with the candy. The woman turned and ran immediately into the nearest building.

Finn realized that it was a grenade. Throwing open the passenger door he grabbed Puck around the shoulders and was pulling him out of the passenger door when everything went white, the red, then black.

-/-

Until the next chapter, thank you for the reviews and to the people who are following this story. Sincerely, Whistler Nights.

The song _Sweet Home Alabama_ was written by Bill Monroe and made famous by the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band

A very special THANK YOU to all the men and women who serve in the military and to the families and friends that are at home waiting for you! May you all return safely!


	27. Chapter 27 Coming Home

**Coming Home – Chapter 27**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. All names are fictitious and appear by coincidence.)

Rachel was running around her dorm suite that morning trying to remember everything that she would need for campus that day. Spring recitals were the following week, and Heidi was accompanying her on the piano again. It would be a long evening in the practice rooms.

She had tried to call Finn several times over the last few days, but it always went to his voice mail. The last time that she talked to him he had been very busy, and the time difference was always a hassle.

Satisfied that she had everything she needed for the day, she was heading for the door when there was a knock. Opening her suite door, she was shocked to find Carole, Kurt, and Burt standing there.

"Carole? What are you guys doing here so early in the morning and in the middle of the week?"

"Rachel, we need to talk," Carole said softly.

"Is it Finn? Is he okay?"

"There has been an accident. Two officers came by last night to see us. Apparently Finn hasn't changed his next of kin contacts."

"What has happened to Finn? Is he dead?" Rachel was frantic.

"We don't have a lot of details yet, but Finn is alive."

"Did a truck fall on him or something?"

Carole was losing control at this point so Burt stepped in.

"No, it wasn't a motor pool accident," Burt paused. "Finn and Puck were driving in a convoy when a young woman slipped a grenade inside the window. She was carrying a small child, and Puck put the window down to offer the child some candy."

"Puck, what about Puck? Is he okay?" Rachel was become hysterical by now.

"Rachel," Burt paused, "Puck didn't make it. Finn was trying to pull him out the passenger side door when the grenade went off. Puck's body shielded Finn from most of the blast."

Rachel dropped to the floor in a heap. Kurt wrapped his arms around her as she cried uncontrollably.

Burt turned to Carole and told her that he would be back. He was going to make some phone calls to some other senators and friends at the Pentagon to see if he could find out any more details.

Word of what had happened spread quickly through the dorm and soon the news was traveling around campus. Carole and Rachel cried as they tried to comfort each other waiting for any more news.

Burt returned several hours later with a few more details. "Finn will be flown from Afghanistan to Germany and on to Ohio as soon as he's stable. He'll be accompanying Puck's body home along with an honor guard and medics. Finn's physical injuries are not life threatening. They tell me that he was hurt far worse emotionally."

"What does that mean?" Rachel struggled to say.

"The intel that I got from the Pentagon says that Finn was holding Puck when he died. Finn hasn't spoken a word since. He's partially deaf, but they think that is from the blast, and his hearing may return. He has burns, shrapnel wounds, and his right arm is broken in several places, but those wounds will heal." Burt said softly to Rachel as she broke into racking sobs again.

"As soon as anyone knows when Finn will be returning to the States, I'll let you know," Burt tried to comfort his daughter-in-law.

"What about Mrs. Puckerman?" Rachel finally asked quietly.

"The officers that came by our house last night had just left hers. Her rabbi was there and the family was on their way," Carole said softly.

Kurt left to tell all of Rachel's professors what had happened, but Heidi had already been to most of them.

Nine days passed before Finn was released from the hospital at the Kandahar Air Base to come home. Puck's body had been prepared for burial and was in a flag draped coffin. Finn was loaded onto the plane on a gurney with a flight medic at his side.

Finn was totally unaware of the flight back to Ohio. When he was awake, he didn't speak or move except to blink. When he was asleep he had nightmares and would wake up screaming.

The plane carrying Finn and Puck's body was met by an honor guard at the airport. Rachel anxiously waited for them to wheel Finn off of the plane, but Puck's body came off first. An honor guard saluted and then solemnly loaded his coffin into a black hearse.

When Finn was unloaded he was on a gurney with a medic following close behind. His hands and forearms were heavily bandaged, and his face was bandaged above his right eye. He stared straight ahead as still as a statue.

"Finn, it's me Rachel!" Airport security and her family couldn't hold her back. "Finn it's me!" she pleaded as she bent over her husband's gurney. Finn continued to stare straight up into the sky without showing any signs that he recognized her or anyone else.

"Finn please, it's me your wife! It's Rachel!" She cried on his shoulder, but he remained unmoved.

"The flight medic came to her side her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's okay. He has been this way for the entire flight. Sometimes when you have been through what he has been through the mind shuts down. It's our body's way of protecting ourselves. So much has happened that he can't process it yet. Give him time. We know he can speak because he talks in his sleep. Much of his hearing is still gone, but we've seen some response."

"What does he say when he talks in his sleep?"

"I've only heard him say three words. When he wakes from his nightmares he screams 'No and Puck.' When he's sleeping peacefully he whispers 'Rachel.' Is that you?"

"Yes, that's me. Can I take him home?" Rachel cried quietly.

"In time, but for now he still needs to be hospitalized."

The medic helped her up, but not before she kissed Finn's lips. She might as well have been kissing a statue, because there was no response.

Wheeling Finn into a waiting ambulance, Rachel stood in shock. She had expected Finn to be hurt. To probably have PTSD, but she didn't expect this. He was her husband and he didn't even know her. He didn't know his own mother. He didn't even know that he was in the world.

"Where are you taking him?" Rachel asked the medic.

"My orders say he's being admitted to the Dayton Veteran's Hospital. They have a good neurological and psychiatric unit there, and it's the closest Veteran's Hospital to his home town. You're welcome to follow us in your car."

"Psychiatric? Is he brain damaged? Is he in a coma? Does he have amnesia?" Rachel frantically interrupted the medic.

"Until he responds, we can't tell. There was no damage to his head except for the cut over his eye. The doctors who released him to me think that his mind has simply shut down, and he may come out of this. He had been through a lot and it's his mind's way of coping."

Rachel was frozen in place.

"Can she please ride with him in the ambulance?" Burt asked breaking the silence. "His mother and I will follow in our car."

"That shouldn't be a problem," the medic agreed.

Rachel climbed into the ambulance beside Finn's stretcher. He stared straight at the ceiling as they worked to attached monitors to him.

When they were on the road, Rachel reached for his bandaged hand, but he winced in pain.

"Oh, Baby, I'm sorry." Reaching up she rubbed his scruff covered cheek.

"You can talk to him," the medic offered. "We believe that he can hear some things. He just can't process them yet. I've seen blast cases like this before, and sometimes the hearing returns. It's just going to take some time."

Rachel rolled Finn's head to the side so he was looking at her through emotionless eyes.

"Finn you've come home. You're in Ohio, and I'm going to take care of you. I promised to stand by you in sickness and in health and that's what I'm going to do. The medic said I should talk to you. You know I'm good at that. I hope that you can hear me."

As Rachel told him all about school, Finn stared blankly. Finn was still alive in his shell of a body, but blinking and breathing were all that was happening.

True to her word, Rachel stayed with him day and night at the hospital. She sang to him as she bathed him in the morning. After a week of the bedside vigil Finn's doctor's convinced her to go home and get some rest. Finn had enough friends and family to relieve her at Finn's bed side. She had only left him long enough to attend Puck's funeral. Hiram and Leroy had stayed with Finn while she left long enough to morn their friend. She was afraid that Finn would snap out of it and be surrounded by strangers.

Puck's death had stunned the whole town. Almost every member of his old football team and all of the Glee club returned to join a town in grief. So many people came that his military funeral had to be held on the McKinley High School football field.

"He would have like this," Mr. Schuster eulogized as he was one of the many speakers who came to say good-bye to Puck.

Mercedes stood to address the crowd of mourners. "I know that Puck as we called him was Jewish by birth, but I believe that this song transcends all faiths and creeds."

Taking a deep breath, she began the opening strands of _Amazing Grace._ After finishing the third verse she repeated the first. Everyone in the stadium stood and sang it with her.

After the flag was folded and _Taps_ was played, friends and family lined up to lay white roses on Puck's coffin. Shelby had returned with Beth and the little girl was one of the last to give her daddy a rose.

Rachel was hanging to Kurt as she watched the little girl place a rose on the coffin of the man that she didn't know was her father.

"At least Puck got the chance to have child. Finn never will," Rachel whispered to Kurt between sobs.

"You don't know that. I believe that Finn will return to us and I'll have oodles of nieces and nephews. His mind just needs time to heal." Kurt squeezed her hand.

When she returned after the funeral, the doctors were redressing Finn's left hand and arm. There were cuts and burns that were beginning to heal. She noticed that his wedding band was gone, but there was still a faint tan line where it had been. She called Carole to see if any of Finn's belongs had been returned to her. Carole had received a package from the Army, but she hadn't opened it.

Rachel tore the package open when Carole brought it to the hospital that day. Inside were all the letters and photos that she had sent him. There were also goofy pictures of Finn and Puck together at different Army bases. In the bottom of the package wrapped neatly in gauze she found Finn's wedding ring. It was dented and had a mixture of what looked like blood and grease in the engraving.

She cleaned it carefully in the sink and placed it in her purse. When the bandages came off his left hand, she would replace it on his finger.

Kurt came by one afternoon with her grades from school. Four of her professors had given her final grades based on the work she had completed. One had given her an incomplete. She needed to contact her professor and arrange to take her final exam before the fall semester began. It was the recital for Vocal Performance 102.

"Kurt, I've completely forgotten about school. I can't leave Finn and go to New York. He's more important."

"Finn would want you to go. Heidi is still in New York, but she won't be for long."

"What do you mean?"

"After what has happened to you and Finn, she has decided to return to Germany. She has been accepted at the University of Berlin. Christian finished his tour in the Balkans and he's in Berlin now. She has missed her home, family, and him so much."

"At least someone returned from this bloody madness in one piece." Rachel began to cry glancing over at Finn who was alive, but trapped somewhere in the depths of the war that continued to rage inside his mind.

After everyone reassured her that Finn wouldn't be left alone, Rachel returned to New York. She hadn't practiced her song selection since the day Carole had knocked on her dorm door that awful morning.

Taking a deep breath, she stood on the stage alone as Heidi began to play. She sang Bette Midler's _Wind Beneath My Wings_. She sang it for Finn.

While in New York she checked out the Veteran's Hospital in the Bronx. She would make this work. She would have Finn transferred to New York, and she would return to her classes in the fall.

Heidi was going back to Berlin and Blaine would be coming to New York in the fall with Kurt. Now was the time to look for an apartment. She had promised Finn that he would have a home waiting for him when he returned from Afghanistan. On her trip back to Ohio her mind was racing with plans.

When she entered Finn's hospital room, Carole was reading to her son.

"Has there been any change?" Rachel asked.

"No, but they've removed part of his bandages."

The bandage was gone from the cut over his eye and his left hand and arm. The right one was still in a cast.

"Carole you weren't there the first time, but I want you to be here now." She dug into her purse and found Finn's wedding band.

Slipping in onto his ring finger, she said, "With this ring I thee wed." She bent over to kiss him as she held his hand.

"Carole, did you see that?" Rachel jumped in excitement. His hand moved. He moved his hand in mine."

The two women stood back and watched as Finn fingered his wedding ring with his thumb.

Carole ran to find a nurse as Rachel covered Finn's face with kisses. "You've come back to me; you've come back to me."

The days passed as Rachel held his hand and sang to him. One day she noticed that he was tracking her with his eyes as she moved about the room.

"Can you hear me?" Rachel cried as she took his hand. He blinked and slightly nodded.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked

He blinked and nodded again.

The doctors were so encouraged that they started the paper work to transfer him to The Bronx Veteran's Hospital. Blaine and Kurt began the search for the perfect apartment while Rachel spent her days with Finn.

Every afternoon Rachel took a nap with Finn being careful not to hurt his injuries. Her head rested on his chest while they both slept. She often dreamed of her and Finn. What it used to be like and what she dreamed the future would be. One afternoon she was dreaming that Finn was calling her name. "Rachel, Rachel."

This afternoon it wasn't a dream. As she awoke from a sound sleep she couldn't still be dreaming, but she heard someone calling her name faintly. "Rachel, Rachel."

"Finn, did you say my name?" His eyes were open and he was looking at her. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she could tell that he was watching her.

"Say it again. Say my name," she hesitated.

"Rachel," he said again barely above a whisper. He never took his eyes off of her as he tried to raise his right hand to her cheek.

"Its okay, Baby! You've had an accident. Your right arm is broken, but you're going to be okay. Don't move I have to call your doctor and your Mom!" Rachel peppered his face with kisses as she pressed the call button by his bed.

The family gathered in the hall waiting as the doctors examined Finn. Finally they came out and one of them told Rachel, "He's asking for you, but go slow. He's coming out of it, but he's got a long way to go."

The family came in one by one to see him, but Rachel never left his side or let go of his left hand. He half smiled and nodded as he recognized each one of them. Later the doctors told them it was time to go; he had had enough for one day. He and Rachel were quiet on his bed as she snuggled into him.

Struggling he turned his head to her and said one word, "Puck?"

"Baby, I'm so sorry, Puck didn't make it back. You tried your best to save him, but he gave his life saving yours. Your hands and arms were hurt trying to pull him to safety. He blocked you from the blast just like he blocked for you in football."

"Puck," Finn whispered again as the tears welled up in his eyes.

"Puck never suffered. He died trying to be kind to a child. Because of Puck, you're here now. He took the blast and saved your life. He saved your life so you could live it. You've come back to us for a reason. I think in someway Puck has been pushing you back into reality, back to all of us."

The days turned into weeks as Finn slowly recovered but Puck's death took a piece of Finn's soul. Sometimes when Finn was silent, Rachel knew that he was thinking of his childhood friend.

Finn never fully remembered the day the woman slipped a grenade into their truck. He remembered a happy little girl and a smiling Puck searching his pockets for a piece of candy.

By August Finn had recovered enough that the doctors agreed to transfer him to the Veteran's Hospital in The Bronx, New York as an out-patient.

Like she had promised back in the spring, he had a home waiting for him in New York. He, Kurt, Rachel, and Blaine shared an apartment. When his hands and arms healed enough he began to take classes at NYU. It took awhile, but he graduated with honors in elementary education. He wanted to teach kindergarten.

The years passed. Rachel graduated and got her first role on Broadway as an understudy and in the chorus. Finn loved his job as the kindergarten teacher that would sing and sometimes dance with his students. After his students got past his scars, they never noticed them. Blaine became a lawyer and Kurt a fashion designer and had a place of their own on the Upper East Side.

Finn never fully got over the war or losing Puck. His dreams would turn into nightmares, and Rachel would hold him as he cried. Gradually the nightmare became less frequent and the scars faded.

One afternoon Finn came home from a hectic days with his kindergartners to find Rachel at home.

"Babe, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the theater by now?" Finn asked.

"I called in sick."

"Rach, are you sick?" Finn asked placing his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"Just morning sickness," she smiled before he grabbed her in a hug.

"Are you pregnant?"

"Yes, Baby, I'm pregnant. We're going to have another little Hudson running around her."

Finn picked her up and twirled her around the room with happiness.

"Wait; put me down, you're going to make me throw-up again."

"Throw-up all you want, I'll clean it up. Babe, I can't remember the last time that I was this happy. Is there anything I can get you – pickles, ice cream?"

"No, not yet, but you're going to be the one taking care of me."

"Anything you want, just name it."

"I do have one request. If this baby is a boy. I want to name him. I want to name him Noah."

Eight months later Noah Christopher Hudson made his debut into the world screaming his lungs out. He had thick dark hair and big brown eyes.

Rachel cradled Noah in her arms as Finn kissed her forehead. "I think Puck is looking down on us," Finn beamed looking at his wife and newborn son.

"I know he is," Rachel smiled at her son and then her husband. "I know he is."

THE END

If you have enjoyed my rather long story please review. The reviews mean so much to me. I'm sorry for the long break that I took in the middle due to the death of my mother, but I felt like I owed it to my readers to finish. Thank you to everyone who continued to keep up with my story. You are what kept me writing.

_Amazing Grace_ was written by John Newton, a slave trader. Published in 1779.

_Wind Beneath My Wings_ was written by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley and made famous by Bette Midler.

Again, my utmost gratitude to the men and women who serve and to your loved ones at home waiting for your return. May you all return safe and sound to the ones you love.

Sincerely, Whistler Nights.


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